Formic Acid to Power towards Low-Carbon Economy

The storage and utilization of low-carbon electricity and decarbonization of transportation are essential components for the future energy transition into a low-carbon economy. While hydrogen has been identified as a potential energy carrier, the lack of viable technologies for safe and efficient storage and transportation of H-2 greatly limits its applications and deployment at scale. Formic acid (FA) is considered one of the promising H-2 energy carriers because of its high volumetric H-2 storage capacity of 53 g H-2/L, and relatively low toxicity and flammability for convenient and low-cost storage and transportation. FA can be employed to generate electricity either in direct FA fuel cells (FCs) or indirectly as an H-2 source for hydrogen FCs. FA can enable large-scale chemical H-2 storage to eliminate energy-intensive and expensive processes for H-2 liquefaction and compression and thus to achieve higher efficiency and broader utilization. This perspective summarizes recent advances in catalyst development for selective dehydrogenation of FA and high-pressure H-2 production. The advantages and limitations of FA-to-power options are highlighted. Existing life cycle assessment (LCA) and economic analysis studies are reviewed to discuss the feasibility and future potential of FA as a fuel.

Automated summary

The storage and utilization of low-carbon electricity and decarbonization of transportation are crucial for the energy transition into a low-carbon economy. Formic acid (FA) is considered a promising energy carrier due to its high hydrogen storage capacity and low risk. This perspective summarizes recent developments in catalysts for FA dehydrogenation and high-pressure hydrogen production, highlighting the advantages and limitations of FA-to-power options. Existing life cycle assessment and economic analysis studies are reviewed to discuss the feasibility and future potential of FA as a fuel.