Abstract
Direct hydrogen fuel cells are generally heavy and rigid systems based on metal or plastic materials, which are not suitable for various miniwatt and flexible devices. In this study, we have developed a lightweight and flexible fuel cell based on paper substrate embedded with an Al foil inside, which is used as an in-situ hydrogen source by reaction with an electrolyte solution during operation. Benefited from the inhibited hydroxyl transportation by the porous cellulose network, the vigorous Al corrosion reaction is well controlled even though strong alkaline electrolyte is adopted, so that the fuel cell can be discharged for more than 5 hours at 1 mA cm-2 (0.83 V) with only 3.5 mg Al foil. The corresponding faradaic and energy efficiencies are as high as 72% and 18.3%, respectively. The fuel cell flexibility is also quite good when facing different bending angles. Considering its moderate power output, this flexible paper-based hydrogen fuel cell is especially suitable for powering various miniwatt and flexible devices, such as wearable electronics, biosensors, RFID tags, etc. However, higher power can be obtained by suitable stacking of the fuel cell.
Highlights
Fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas are currently the mainstream energy source worldwide, which is resource limited and generating pollution and damage to the environment
Fuel cell can be classified into many sub-types, including proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), solid oxide fuel cell, alkaline fuel cell, phosphoric acid fuel cell, molten carbonate fuel cell, microfluidic fuel cell (MFC), etc
Afterwards, the OCV encountered a gradual and stable rise up. This is due to the corrosion of Al that resulted in slow accumulation of H2 gas inside the paper substrate
Summary
Fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas are currently the mainstream energy source worldwide, which is resource limited and generating pollution and damage to the environment Compared with these hydrocarbon fuels, hydrogen fuel is a renewable energy carrier which can be produced through chemical, electrochemical or photocatalytic approaches, which is pollution-free and carbon-neutral during consumption. Fuel cell is one of the most efficient devices which can convert the chemical energy in the hydrogen directly to electricity Based on their electrolytes, fuel cell can be classified into many sub-types, including proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), solid oxide fuel cell, alkaline fuel cell, phosphoric acid fuel cell, molten carbonate fuel cell, microfluidic (membraneless) fuel cell (MFC), etc. Since the polymer electrolyte membrane is intrinsically flexible, the key issue for developing flexible PEMFC is to design flexible gas diffusion layer, current collector and bipolar plates
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
