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The self-ionization of water (also autoionization of water, autoprotolysis of water, autodissociation of water, or simply dissociation of water) is an ionization reaction in pure water or in an aqueous solution, in which a water molecule, H 2 O, deprotonates (loses the nucleus of one of its hydrogen atoms) to become a hydroxide ion, OH −.
Separately pressurised into convenient 'tanks' or 'gas bottles', hydrogen can be used for oxyhydrogen welding and other applications, as the hydrogen / oxygen flame can reach approximately 2,800°C. Water electrolysis requires a minimum potential difference of 1.23 volts , although at that voltage external heat is also required.
Water is fundamental to both photosynthesis and respiration. Photosynthetic cells use the sun's energy to split off water's hydrogen from oxygen. [107] In the presence of sunlight, hydrogen is combined with CO 2 (absorbed from air or water) to form glucose and release oxygen. [108]
This process occurs naturally in plants photosystem II to provide protons and electrons for the photosynthesis process and release oxygen to the atmosphere, [1] as well as in some electrowinning processes. [2] Since hydrogen can be used as an alternative clean burning fuel, there has been a need to split water efficiently.
The first decomposition of water into hydrogen and oxygen, by electrolysis, was done in 1800 by English chemist William Nicholson and Anthony Carlisle. [98] [99] In 1805, Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac and Alexander von Humboldt showed that water is composed of two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. [100]
In thermolysis, water molecules split into hydrogen and oxygen. For example, at 2,200 °C (2,470 K; 3,990 °F) about three percent of all H 2 O are dissociated into various combinations of hydrogen and oxygen atoms, mostly H, H 2, O, O 2, and OH. Other reaction products like H 2 O 2 or HO 2 remain minor. At the very high temperature of 3,000 ...
As an example, the molecules of table sugar dissociate in water (sugar is dissolved) but exist as intact neutral entities. Another subtle event is the dissociation of sodium chloride (table salt) into sodium and chlorine ions. Although it may seem as a case of ionization, in reality the ions already exist within the crystal lattice.
Ultrahigh-pressure electrolysis is high-pressure electrolysis operating at 340–690 bars (5,000–10,000 psi). [8] At ultra-high pressures the water solubility and cross-permeation across the membrane of H 2 and O 2 is affecting hydrogen purity, modified PEMs are used to reduce cross-permeation in combination with catalytic H 2 /O 2 recombiners to maintain H 2 levels in O 2 and O 2 levels in ...