It is observed that MnO2 stores charge by means of potassium (+) ion while cobalt oxide store energy by hydroxide (-) ion while both materials are employed as cathodes in separate systems.
So, the reason why some materials store energy through cations while others through anions in a two-electrode system boils down to their inherent chemical properties and electrochemical behavior.
In the case of MnO2, it's known to store charge by utilizing potassium cations (+) in its structure. This is because MnO2 has a crystal lattice structure that can accommodate the insertion and extraction of these potassium ions during the charge and discharge cycles.
On the other hand, cobalt oxide (CoO) stores energy by utilizing hydroxide anions (-) in its structure. The hydroxide ions can be reversibly inserted and removed during the charging and discharging process, which enables cobalt oxide to store energy efficiently.
Now, the reason for this difference lies in the specific chemical composition and crystal structure of these materials. MnO2 and cobalt oxide have different chemical structures and properties, which determine how they interact with ions during the electrochemical processes.
In simpler terms, think of it like this: MnO2 prefers to work with positively charged ions (cations) because of its structure, while cobalt oxide is better suited to work with negatively charged ions (anions) due to its own unique structure.
So, it's all about the chemical makeup and the way these materials are designed to interact with ions during energy storage. Pretty cool Abin Philip, right? Let me know if you Abin Philip want to dive deeper into this!