Portable proton exchange membrane fuel cell using polyoxometalates as multi-functional hydrogen carrier

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is an ideal energy-conversion technology for portable, motile as well as stationary applications. However, the use as a portable power source is still hindered by the stringent requirements for hydrogen storage. Herein, we propose a PEMFC system using hydrogenable polyoxometalate (POM) solution as hydrogen carrier that enables the whole system to work under atmospheric temperature and pressure. A proof-of-concept air-breathing PEMFC is constructed and three typical POMs are tested, the corre-sponding results demonstrate good cell performance and stability. Another impressive result shows that the hydrogen carrier, POMs, can be hydrogenated by multiple hydrogen sources such as H-2, H2O and NaBH4 through both electrochemical and chemical ways. The newly designed system obtained a peak power density of 51 mW cm(-2), making the real-world application of portable PEMFC possible.

Automated summary

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is an ideal energy-conversion technology for various applications. This research proposes a PEMFC system using hydrogenable polyoxometalate (POM) solution as hydrogen carrier that works under atmospheric conditions, and the experiments demonstrate good cell performance and stability.