Alkaline Fuel Cells Utilizing Liquid Fuels
Summary
Alkaline fuel cells (AFCs) that employ liquid fuels harness the reaction between a liquid fuel at the anode and oxygen at the cathode in an alkaline medium to generate electricity. The liquid fuels most commonly investigated include small organic molecules such as methanol, ethanol and formate derivatives. These systems typically use an anion exchange membrane to conduct hydroxide ions from the cathode to the anode, where fuel oxidation occurs. Advantages include rapid kinetics of both the alcohol‐oxidation and oxygen‐reduction reactions in alkaline environments, higher theoretical energy densities of liquid fuels compared with hydrogen, ease of fuel storage and handling, and the possibility of using non‐precious‐metal catalysts. Current challenges centre on minimising fuel crossover through the membrane, optimising electrode architectures for mass transport, and improving catalyst durability and selectivity to achieve complete fuel oxidation. Progress in membrane development, electrode design and alloy catalyst formulation has broadened the practical applications of AFCs fed with liquid fuels, from portable power sources to auxiliary power units and off‐grid energy systems.
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Alkaline Fuel Cells Utilizing Liquid Fuels publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in alkaline fuel cells utilizing liquid fuels across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Alkaline fuel cell: Electrochemical device using an alkaline electrolyte to convert chemical energy of a liquid fuel and oxygen into electricity.
Anion exchange membrane (AEM): Polymer film that selectively conducts hydroxide ions from cathode to anode while blocking fuel crossover.
Fuel crossover: Unwanted diffusion of fuel molecules through the membrane from anode to cathode, leading to efficiency loss.
Electrocatalyst: Material that increases the rate of oxidation or reduction reactions at the electrodes in fuel cells.
Power density: Measure of electrical power output per unit electrode area, expressed in milliwatts per square centimetre (mW cm−2).
References
- Principles and Materials Aspects of Direct Alkaline Alcohol Fuel Cells. Energies (2010).
- Influence of the electrocatalyst layer thickness on alkaline DEFC performance. Sustainable Energy & Fuels (2023).
- Effect of PdNiBi Metal Content: Cost Reduction in Alkaline Direct Ethanol Fuel Cells. Sustainability (2022).
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