Leclanchého

Leclanchého refers to Georges Leclanché, a 19th‑century French chemist best known for designing the Leclanché cell, an early and commercially successful primary battery. Introduced in the 1860s, the Leclanché cell combines a zinc anode, a carbon rod cathode, and manganese dioxide as a depolarizer, with an electrolyte of ammonium chloride. The anode and cathode are separated by a porous jar inside a cylindrical container, allowing ion flow while preventing short circuits. During discharge, zinc is oxidized at the anode and MnO2 is reduced at the cathode, producing electrical energy.

The invention contributed to the practical spread of portable electricity and found use in telegraph systems, early flashlights, and other devices requiring portable power. The Leclanché cell is often described as a precursor to the modern dry cell; through later refinements, the electrolyte was immobilized to create more leak-resistant, commercially viable batteries. The basic configuration—zinc anode, carbon cathode, manganese dioxide depolarizer, and ammonium chloride electrolyte—also informed subsequent zinc‑carbon and related battery developments, making Leclanché a foundational figure in battery chemistry.

Today, the Leclanché name remains associated with the historical cell and, in corporate contexts, with battery companies tracing their lineage to Leclanché’s original invention. The Leclanché cell played a key role in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by enabling more reliable portable power, influencing the design of many later energy storage technologies.