Advanced Materials for PEM-Based Fuel Cell Systems

Dear Colleagues,

In response to increasing global energy demand due to population growth and rapid urbanization, fuel cell and hydrogen (FCH) technology is being identified as the primary option for storage and generation of clean and efficient energy, driving funding and research toward the future hydrogen economy.

Among the fuel cells devices, polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) represent the most promising electric energy generators for automotive and portable power applications owing to their unique features such as low temperature working conditions, fast start-up, high specific power density, fuel flexibility (alcohols and not just hydrogen can be used) and easy portability.

At the current stage in technology, the platinum (Pt)-based materials and perfluorosulfonic acid ionomer-based membranes represent the standard catalyst and electrolyte, respectively.

The electrolyte membranes typically operate in a temperature range 50−90 °C due to the difficulty in maintaining water content at higher temperatures; therefore, humidification of the inlet gas is required. The humidification system is a major part of the fuel cell system cost.

The development of high-temperature membranes (up to 120–130 °C) capable of operating at low relative humidity with sufficiently high ionic conductivity is a challenge but will decrease the cost and system complexity associated with humidification. Then, operating at higher temperatures not only enables faster reaction kinetics to the electrodes but also allows better catalytic activity due to reduced poisoning from CO and other gases, facilitates easier water management and elimination, faster heat rejection rates and better systems integration. At the same time, the prohibitive cost and scarcity of Pt has pushed researchers to find alternatives electrodes materials without compromising the catalytic performance of the cell, especially the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), which is the main rate-determining step in a fuel cell device.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to gather recent advances on the development of advanced materials for highly electroactive catalysts and alternative polymer electrolyte membranes, in order to increase performance and efficiency of both acidic and alkaline PEMFCs, reduce their costs, and finally to promote their commercialization.

The guest-editors of this Special Issue welcome papers on both computational and experimental explorations.

Prof. Dr. Isabella Nicotera
Prof. Dr. Maria Assunta Navarra
Guest Editors

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