Energy Applications: Fuel Cells

Abstract

Fuel cells are regarded as promising energy sources for the future to replace the traditional systems that use fossil fuels. During the operation of a fuel cell, fuel is oxidized in the anode, whereas reduction of the oxidant takes place in the cathode. In order to overcome the barriers for commercialization of fuel cells, progress in fuel cell technology is required especially in the aspects of cell performance and cost. To achieve increased performance and reduced cost, development of advanced electrode materials is crucial. One approach to prepare anode and cathode catalysts with improved characteristics is to support the anode and cathode materials onto a suitable matrix. Current research on support materials for fuel cell electrodes concentrates on carbon-based materials because of their good electrical and mechanical properties; however, non-carbon supports such as silica and titanium are also investigated. The most active anode and cathode materials are Pt-based ones, which make the fuel cell technology less cost-effective due to the limited supply and high cost of Pt. Thus, research on cost reduction of fuel cells deals with either optimization of existing Pt catalysts or development of Pt or non-Pt alloy catalysts with new and improved electronic structures.