B

BBackgroundcurrent37●BBBacon,FrancisThomas(Dec.,,Billericay,Essex,UK–May,,Lit-tleShelford,nearCambridge,UK)BaconwaseducatedatEtonCollegespecializinginscienceandattheTrinityCollegeinCambridgeobtainingadegreeinmechanicalsciences.Hestartedtoworkonthehydrogen–oxygenfuelcellin.Heconstructedthefirstpracticalandefficient�fuelcells.Heusedpotassiumhydroxidein-steadofacidswhichwaslesscorrosivetotheelectrodes;therefore,platinumcouldbereplacedbyinexpensivenickelelectrodes.Thedevelopmentoftheporous�gas–diffusionelectrodesofhighsurfaceareawastheotherim-portantstep.Besideeverydayapplicationssuchastrans-port,themostnotablesuccesswasthatBaconcellspro-videdelectricalpowerforthefunctioningofsystemsandtheproductionofdrinkingwaterinthemannedmoonflightsoftheApollospaceprogram.FrancisThomasBaconwasadirectdescendantofSirFrancisBacon(–).AmongothershewaselectedafellowoftheRoyalSociety(),andawardedthefirstGroveMedal()[ii].Refs.:[i]http://chem.ch.huji.ac.il/�eugenik/history/bacon.h