Leclanché’s cell

There is a breathless excitement associated with the field of batteries and energy storage at the moment. As the cry of ‘electrify everything’ spreads across transport, heating and beyond, journals are filled with reports of new electrodes and electrolytes. The effort echoes the excitement that spread during the 19th century when electricity went from a peculiar phenomenon in physics to a credible source of electrons.

Alessandro Volta’s report that an alternating series of metal plates connected by acidic or salty solution could produce electric shocks comparable to what could be had from a Leyden jar kicked off a huge flurry of activity across Europe. William Nicholson demonstrated the link between electricity and chemical discovery, before Humphry Davy’s wild reports and public demonstrations did so more spectacularly. The result was a burst of creativity as inventors tried different combinations of metals and separators.