Abstract:
A hydrogen current generator based on palladium nanofilms, obtained by thermal-vacuum sputtering on object glass is proposed and created for the first time. Constructively, nanofilms are divided into two parts. The first part represents open surface of the nanofilm for interaction with hydrogen and the second part is covered with protective layer to prevent direct interaction of the nanofilm with hydrogen. It was found that in 100% hydrogen medium the open-circuit voltage of 10 $\mu$V is generated in the structure, and the short-circuit current reaches $\sim$ 300 nA of magnitude. It is supposed that hydrogen current generation is related to the palladium hydride (PdH$_x$) formation on the open area of Pd nanolayer and potential barrier emergence on the Pd/PdH$_x$ interface.
Keywords:hydrogen, palladium, palladium hydride, ionization, hydrogen current generator.