Results
Amount of Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate (g) | Amount of Li-Cl | Voltage generated by the cell |
| 4 | 1 | 0.57-0.58 |
| 5 | 1 | 0.57-0.58 |
Discussion
The experiment provides us with the information about the voltage generated by the cell. It is proven that Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate is able to conduct electricity however it conductivity for a chemical cell might not be as excellent as it is. Considering the value of 0.57 is not a large value for a chemical cell especially for a commercial battery. I am unable to obtain the value for resistance and current due to the lacking in precision of the apparatus. As far as I am aware, the voltage, current and resistance measurement for the 5 g solution are more stable compare to the 4 g solution. Moreover, the 4 g solution generated more hydrogen gas compare to the 5 g solution. The observation shows that the there are more bubbles trapped within 4 g gel compare to 5 g gel which was almost none.
The low voltage and the high resistance produced by the cell are contributed by the size of the sodium ions which is very large compare to the lithium ions. This made sodium ions to have a slow diffusion rate hence give way to high resistance.
According to Nernst Equation, the concentration of Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate will affect the cell potential however, the experiment shows that the cell potential stays constant regardless the concentration of Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate. It is hard to determine the relation between the concentration of the polyelectrolyte and the cell potential since during the gelifying process, most of the water is evaporated and the 4 g solution underwent more evaporation than the 5 g solution. This might contribute the similarity in the voltage generated by the cell.
Conclusion
Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate though is able to conduct electricity however might not be suitable for a commercial cell due to its low voltage and high resistance. Nevertheless, the experiment shows that polyelectrolyte is able to conduct electricity and produce a battery effect. Therefore, there is a possibility of using polyelectrolyte as a battery solvent in the future.
Future Experiment
I will try to research more polyelectrolyte with smaller ions than sodium to see if it is possible to use it to create a better battery effect. The possibilities now are either Lithium Polystyrene Sulfonate or Poly-4styrene sulfonic acid, Li salts.