Single self-insulating contact for wet electrical connector

1. An electrical connector connected to a power source, the electrical connector comprising:

an electrically insulating body;

a self-passivating contact comprising a first electrically conductive material that forms an electrically insulating passivation layer when exposed to water; and

a non-passivating contact comprising a second electrically conductive material that is unreactive when exposed to water,

wherein the self-passivating contact is held at a higher voltage than the non-passivating contact by the power source.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the first electrically conductive material includes a transition metal, and the electrically insulating passivation layer is an oxide formed from the transition metal.

3. The electrical connector of claim 2 , wherein the first electrically conductive material is an outer layer of the self-passivating contact.

4. The electrical connector of claim 2 , wherein the transition metal is selected from a group containing niobium, tantalum, titanium, zirconium, molybdenum, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, hafnium, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, and iridium.

5. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the second electrically conductive material is resistant to corrosion in an aqueous environment.

6. The electrical connector of claim 5 , wherein the second electrically conductive material includes copper, silver, gold, platinum, graphite, or aluminum.

7. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the electrically insulating passivation layer prevents electrical current from flowing from the self-passivating contact to the non-passivating contact when exposed to water.

8. A system comprising:

a first electrical connector comprising:

a first self-passivating contact formed with a self-passivating electrically conductive material that forms an electrically insulating passivation layer when exposed to water; and

a first non-passivating contact formed with a non-passivating, electrically conductive material that is unreactive when exposed to water;

a second electrical connector comprising:

a second self-passivating contact configured to mate with the first self-passivating contact, the second self-passivating contact formed with the self-passivating electrically conductive material; and

a second non-passivating contact configured to mate with the first non-passivating contact, the second non-passivating contact formed with the non-passivating, electrically conductive material; and

a power source configured to hold the first self-passivating contact at a higher voltage than the first non-passivating electrode.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the self-passivating, electrically conductive material includes a transition metal, and the electrically insulating passivation layer is an oxide formed from the transition metal.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the transition metal is selected from a group containing niobium, tantalum, titanium, zirconium, molybdenum, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, hafnium, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, and iridium.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the non-passivating, electrically conductive material is resistant to corrosion in an aqueous environment.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the non-passivating, electrically conductive material includes copper, silver, gold, platinum, graphite, or aluminum.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the electrically insulating passivation layer prevents electrical current from flowing from the first self-passivating contact to the first non-passivating contact when exposed to water.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the second self-passivating contact is configured to scrape at least a portion of the electrically insulating passivation layer when mating with the first self-passivating contact, enabling current to flow between the first self-passivating contact and the second self-passivating contact.

15. A method comprising:

forming a connector body from an electrically insulating material;

forming a self-passivating anode comprising a first electrically conductive material that forms an electrically insulating passivation layer when exposed to water; and

forming a non-passivating cathode comprising a second electrically conductive material that is unreactive when exposed to water; and

installing the self-passivating anode and the non-passivating cathode in the connector body,

wherein the electrically insulating passivation layer prevents electrical current from flowing from the self-passivating anode to the non-passivating cathode when exposed to water.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein forming the self-passivating anode comprises forming a transition metal as the first electrically conductive material, and wherein the electrically insulating passivation layer is an oxide formed from the transition metal.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein forming the self-passivating anode comprises selecting the transition metal from a group containing niobium, tantalum, titanium, zirconium, molybdenum, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, hafnium, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, and iridium.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein forming the self-passivating anode comprises coating an anode formed from the second electrically conductive material with a layer of the first electrically conductive material.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein forming the non-passivating cathode comprises forming a metal that is resistant to corrosion in an aqueous environment as the second electrically conductive material.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein forming the non-passivating cathode comprises selecting the second electrically conductive material to include copper, silver, gold, platinum, graphite, or aluminum.