High Carbon Monoxide Tolerance Research Articles

Improving carbon monoxide tolerance of Cupriavidus necator H16 through adaptive laboratory evolution.

Background: The toxic gas carbon monoxide (CO) is abundantly present in synthesis gas (syngas) and certain industrial waste gases that can serve as feedstocks for the biological production of industrially significant chemicals and fuels. For efficient bacterial growth to occur, and to increase productivity and titres, a high resistance to the gas is required. The aerobic bacterium Cupriavidus necator H16 can grow on CO2 + H2, although it cannot utilise CO as a source of carbon and energy. This study aimed to increase its CO resistance through adaptive laboratory evolution. Results: To increase the tolerance of C. necator to CO, the organism was continually subcultured in the presence of CO both heterotrophically and autotrophically. Ten individual cultures were evolved heterotrophically with fructose in this manner and eventually displayed a clear growth advantage over the wild type strain. Next-generation sequencing revealed several mutations, including a single point mutation upstream of a cytochrome bd ubiquinol oxidase operon (cydA2B2), which was present in all evolved isolates. When a subset of these mutations was engineered into the parental H16 strain, only the cydA2B2 upstream mutation enabled faster growth in the presence of CO. Expression analysis, mutation, overexpression and complementation suggested that cydA2B2 transcription is upregulated in the evolved isolates, resulting in increased CO tolerance under heterotrophic but not autotrophic conditions. However, through subculturing on a syngas-like mixture with increasing CO concentrations, C. necator could also be evolved to tolerate high CO concentrations under autotrophic conditions. A mutation in the gene for the soluble [NiFe]-hydrogenase subunit hoxH was identified in the evolved isolates. When the resulting amino acid change was engineered into the parental strain, autotrophic CO resistance was conferred. A strain constitutively expressing cydA2B2 and the mutated hoxH gene exhibited high CO tolerance under both heterotrophic and autotrophic conditions. Conclusion: C. necator was evolved to tolerate high concentrations of CO, a phenomenon which was dependent on the terminal respiratory cytochrome bd ubiquinol oxidase when grown heterotrophically and the soluble [NiFe]-hydrogenase when grown autotrophically. A strain exhibiting high tolerance under both conditions was created and presents a promising chassis for syngas-based bioproduction processes.

Thermophilic Water Gas Shift Reaction at High Carbon Monoxide and Hydrogen Partial Pressures in Parageobacillus thermoglucosidasius KP1013

The facultatively anaerobic Parageobacillus thermoglucosidasius oxidizes carbon monoxide to produce hydrogen via the water gas shift (WGS) reaction. In the current work, we examined the influence of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2) on the WGS reaction in the thermophilic P. thermoglucosidasius by cultivating two hydrogenogenic strains under varying CO and H2 compositions. Microbial growth and dynamics of the WGS reaction were monitored by evaluating parameters such as pressure, headspace composition, metabolic intermediates, pH, and optical density. Our analyses revealed that compared to the previously studied P. thermoglucosidasius strains, the strain KP1013 demonstrated higher CO tolerance and improved WGS reaction kinetics. Under anaerobic conditions, the lag phase before the WGS reaction shortened to 8 h, with KP1013 showing no hydrogen-induced product inhibition at hydrogen partial pressures up to 1.25 bar. The observed lack of product inhibition and the reduced lag phase of the WGS reaction support the possibility of establishing an industrial process for biohydrogen production with P. thermoglucosidasius.

Robust O-Pd-Cl catalyst-electrolyte interfaces enhance CO tolerance of Pd/C catalyst for stable CO2 electroreduction

Carbon-supported Pd catalysts are highly active yet can be easily poisoned by the in-situ formed carbon monoxide (CO) during CO2 electrochemical reduction reaction (CO2RR). Herein, we introduce a novel approach to enhance the CO tolerance and activity of Pd/C catalyst by manipulating catalyst-electrolyte interfaces in saturated KCl electrolyte. During the CO2RR, the Cl- ions in electrolyte trigger the surface dynamic reconstruction of Pd/C catalyst with the formation of O-Pd-Cl species at catalyst-electrolyte interfaces. The reconstructed Pd/C catalysts can achieve nearly 100% of CO Faradaic efficiency and feature high stability and CO tolerance, which can maintain a better activity in the presence of over 2000 ppm and 23200 ppm of CO in H-type cell and flow cell, respectively. Meanwhile, using such highly concentrated electrolyte, the hydrogen evolution reaction is strongly suppressed. The experimental and theoretical results have confirmed that the O-Pd-Cl species mediated by Cl- ions enable the high activity, good CO resistance and long lifetime of the Pd/C catalyst. These findings may provide some inspirations into the design and fabrication of active yet stable Pd-based catalysts for CO2 electroreduction, and offer some insights into manipulation of the activity and stability for the Pd catalysts at catalyst-electrolyte interfaces.

Development of CO gas conversion system using high CO tolerance biocatalyst

Acetogenic bacteria (acetogens) are microorganisms with high potential as biocatalysts that can convert C1 gas, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) or carbon monoxide (CO), into biomass or biochemicals; however, high CO concentrations cause growth retardation in these microorganisms. In this study, we performed adaptive evolution of Eubacterium limosum, an acetogen, for approximately 400 generations under high CO synthetic gas (syngas) conditions to obtain E. limosum ECO2, which can rapidly proliferate even under high CO conditions. A mutation was revealed in H636R in the Acetyl-CoA synthase (ACS) protein of the ECO2 strain through whole-genome re-sequencing, and the mutation increased the CO gas conversion rate. By analyzing the transcript profiling of the ECO2 strain under high CO syngas conditions, the transcript levels of the methyl branch in the Wood–Ljungdahl pathway and the energy conservation system increased at high CO concentration conditions. Finally, to convert CO into value-added biochemicals, 2,3-BDO (2,3-butanediol) biosynthesis pathways were constructed and transformed into the E. limosum ECO2 strain. This strain showed capability to produce 2.60 mg L-1h−1 of 2,3-BDO through CO 66% syngas fed-batch fermentation. This was 6.5-fold higher than that of the wild type. We developed a microorganism with high CO tolerance, and this strain showed high application potential as a biocatalyst that can efficiently convert CO gas into value-added chemicals.

Carbon Monoxide Tolerant Pt-Based Electrocatalysts for H2-PEMFC Applications: Current Progress and Challenges

The activity degradation of hydrogen-fed proton exchange membrane fuel cells (H2-PEMFCs) in the presence of even trace amounts of carbon monoxide (CO) in the H2 fuel is among the major drawbacks currently hindering their commercialization. Although significant progress has been made, the development of a practical anode electrocatalyst with both high CO tolerance and stability has still not occurred. Currently, efforts are being devoted to Pt-based electrocatalysts, including (i) alloys developed via novel synthesis methods, (ii) Pt combinations with metal oxides, (iii) core–shell structures, and (iv) surface-modified Pt/C catalysts. Additionally, the prospect of substituting the conventional carbon black support with advanced carbonaceous materials or metal oxides and carbides has been widely explored. In the present review, we provide a brief introduction to the fundamental aspects of CO tolerance, followed by a comprehensive presentation and thorough discussion of the recent strategies applied to enhance the CO tolerance and stability of anode electrocatalysts. The aim is to determine the progress made so far, highlight the most promising state-of-the-art CO-tolerant electrocatalysts, and identify the contributions of the novel strategies and the future challenges.

3D non-isothermal dynamic simulation of high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell in the start-up process

High temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC) with phosphoric acid doped polybenzimidazole (PBI) electrolyte shows multiple advantages over conventional PEMFC working at below 373 K, such as faster electrochemical kinetics, simpler water management, higher carbon monoxide tolerance. However, starting HT-PEMFC from room temperature to the optimal operating temperature range (433.15 K–453.15 K) is still a serious challenge. In present work, the start-up strategy is proposed and evaluated and a three-dimensional non-isothermal dynamic model is developed to investigate start-up time and temperature distribution during the start-up process. The HT-PEMFC is preheated by gas to 393.15 K, followed by discharging a current from the cell for electrochemical heat generation. Firstly, different current loads are applied when the average temperature of membrane reaches 393.15 K. Then, the start-up time and temperature distribution of co-flow and counter-flow are compared at different current loads. Finally, the effect of inlet velocity and temperature on the start-up process are explored in the case of counter-flow. Numerical results clearly show that applied current load is necessary to reduce start-up time and just 0.1 A/cm2 current load can reduce startup time by 45%. It is also found that co-flow takes 18.8% less time than counter-flow to heat membrane temperature to 393.15 K, but the maximum temperature difference of membrane is 39% higher than the counter-flow. Increasing the inlet gas flow velocity and temperature can shorten the start-up time but increases the temperature difference of the membrane.

A facile synthetic strategy for iron, aniline-based non-precious metal catalysts for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

The development of a low cost and highly active alternative to the commercial Pt/C catalysts used in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) requires a facile and environmentally-friendly synthesis process to facilitate large-scale production and provide an effective replacement. Transition metals, in conjunction with nitrogen-doped carbon, are among the most promising substitute catalysts because of their high activity, inexpensive composition, and high carbon monoxide tolerance. We prepared a polyaniline-derived Fe-N-C catalyst for oxygen reduction using a facile one-pot process with no additional reagents. This process was carried out by ultrasonicating a mixture containing an iron precursor, an aniline monomer, and carbon black. The half-wave potential of the synthesized Fe-N-C catalyst for the ORR was only 10 mV less than that of a commercial Pt/C catalyst. The optimized Fe-N-C catalyst showed outstanding performance in a practical anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC), suggesting its potential as an alternative to commercial Pt/C catalysts for the ORR.

A Durable CO-Tolerant Polymer-Coated Electrocatalyst Supported on a Nanoporous Carbon

Electrochemical energy productions are considered as an alternative energy sources because those energy consumptions are recognized to be more environmentally friendly and sustainable. The fuel cells, especially the direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs), have received a lot of attention due to the higher energy density (5.04 KWh/L), easy storage and transportation compared with the hydrogen fuel cells (0.53 KWh/L). Also the direct conversion of methanol has a voltage similar (2CH3OH+3O2→2CO2+4H2O+6e-, E=1.19 V) to that of hydrogen (E=1.23 V). However, the DMFCs still suffer from three problems on the anode side; namely, i) the carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning of the platinum nanoparticles (Pt-NPs), which is generated from the uncompleted methanol oxidation reaction (MOR), ii) the sluggish methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) compared to the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) and iii) the low durability of the electrocatalyst in terms of Pt stability and carbon corrosion, which degrades the fuel cell performance. To commercialize the direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs), the durability of the anodic electrocatalyst needs to be highly considered, especially under high temperature and methanol concentration conditions. The low durability caused by the carbon corrosion as well as the carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning of the platinum nanoparticles (Pt-NP) leading to the decrease of the active Pt-NPs and increase in the inactive Pt-NPs covered by CO species. We previously reported that poly(vinylphosphonic acid) (PVPA) plays an important role in enhanced CO tolerance of the electrocatalyst due to the acceleration of the reaction between Pt and H2O to form the Pt(OH)ads that consumes the CO poisoned Pt, namely, Pt(CO)ads. 1 In this study, we deposited Pt-NPs on poly[2,2’-(2,6-pyridine)-5,5’-bibenzimidazole] (PyPBI)-wrapped nanoporous carbon (NanoPC)2,3) and coated the as-synthesized electrocatalyst with poly(vinylphosphonic acid) (PVPA). The durability of the as-synthesized NanoPC/PyPBI/Pt/PVPA was tested in 0.1M HClO4 electrolyte at 60 oC by cycling the potential from 1.0 to 1.5 V vs. RHE, and the results indicated that the NanoPC/PyPBI/Pt/PVPA showed an ~5 times better durability by comparison with that the commercial CB/Pt. The methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) of the electrocatalyst was tested before and after the potential cycling in the presence of 4M or 8M methanol at 60 oC and found that the CO-tolerance of the electrocatalyst was ~3 times higher than that of the commercial CB/Pt. Such a higher CO tolerance is due to the coating of the PVPA, which was proved by an EDX mapping measurement. The NanoPC/PyPBI/Pt/PVPA showed a high durability and CO tolerance under high temperature and high methanol concentration conditions indicating that the electrocatalyst would be used in real fuel applications. References 1) N. Nakashima et al., J. Mater. Chem. A 2014, 2, 18875-18880. 2) N. Nakashima et al., ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2016, in press. 3) N. Nakashima et al., ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2015, 7, 9800-9806.

High-performance membrane-electrode assembly with an optimal polytetrafluoroethylene content for high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

Although high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs) have a high carbon monoxide tolerance and allow for efficient water management, their practical applications are limited due to their lower performance than conventional low-temperature PEMFCs. Herein, we present a high-performance membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) with an optimal polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) content for HT-PEMFCs. Low or excess PTFE content in the electrode leads to an inefficient electrolyte distribution or severe catalyst agglomeration, respectively, which hinder the formation of triple phase boundaries in the electrodes and result in low performance. MEAs with PTFE content of 20 wt% have an optimal pore structure for the efficient formation of electrolyte/catalyst interfaces and gas channels, which leads to high cell performance of approximately 0.5 A cm−2 at 0.6 V.

A Highly-Durable CO-Tolerant Poly(vinylphosphonic acid)-Coated Electrocatalyst Supported on a Nanoporous Carbon.

For direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) to be commercialized, the durability of the anodic electrocatalyst needs to be highly considered, especially under high temperature and methanol concentration conditions. Low durability caused by carbon corrosion as well as carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning of the platinum nanoparticles (Pt-NP) leads to a decrease in active Pt-NPs and increases inactive Pt-NPs covered by CO species. In this study, we deposited Pt-NPs on poly[2,2'-(2,6-pyridine)-5,5'-bibenzimidazole] (PyPBI)-wrapped nanoporous carbon (NanoPC) and coated the as-synthesized electrocatalyst with poly(vinylphosphonic acid) (PVPA). The durability of the as-synthesized NanoPC/PyPBI/Pt/PVPA was tested in 0.1 M HClO4 electrolyte at 60 °C by cycling the potential from 1.0 to 1.5 V relative to RHE, and the results indicated that NanoPC/PyPBI/Pt/PVPA showed ∼5 times better durability relative to that of the commercial CB/Pt. The methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) of the electrocatalyst was tested before and after the potential cycling in the presence of 4 or 8 M methanol at 60 °C and found that the CO tolerance of the electrocatalyst was ∼3 times higher than that of the commercial CB/Pt. Such a higher CO tolerance is due to the coating of the PVPA, which was proven by an EDX mapping measurement. The NanoPC/PyPBI/Pt/PVPA showed a high durability and CO tolerance under high temperature and high methanol concentration conditions, indicating that the electrocatalyst could be used in real fuel applications.

Development of Platinum-Niobium as a CO Tolerant Catalyst for PEFC Operating with CO Contaminated Hydrogen

Traditional Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells (PEFC) are fed with hydrogen in the anode and oxygen in the cathode. This type of fuel cell is especially attractive because of the high efficiency at low temperature. However, the use of reformate hydrogen compromise cell performance due to the presence of traces of carbon monoxide (CO). This contaminant is adsorbed on the surface of Pt, blocking the sites necessary for the hydrogen oxidation reaction. In this context, to improve the CO tolerance of fuel cell anodes, several bimetallic Pt-based catalysts have been proposed. [1] Some studies reported in the literature have suggested the use of niobium (Nb) as the second element in bimetallic catalysts. [2] Thus, this study aims at analyzing the effect of the addition of Nb to Pt in order to develop a CO tolerant catalyst. Pt3Nb/C catalyst was prepared using a modified impregnation method, [1] physically and morphologically characterized and tested electrochemically in a single fuel cell operating on the traditional Nafion® membranes at 85 oC. Figure 1 shows the ionic currents signal m/z = 44 obtained by on-line differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS) experiments, corresponding to CO2 formation. Lower CO oxidation overpotential is observed for the material with Nb, which is a consequence of the facilitated CO oxidation on Pt3Nb/C catalyst. Figures 2 and 3 show the results corresponding to performance of a single fuel cell operating on H2 or H2 + 100 ppm CO. As it can be seen, the Pt3Nb/C catalyst outperforms Pt/C 20%. The high CO tolerance of this material is usually explained by two distinct mechanisms: the bifunctional and electronic mechanisms. In the first, the Nb act as a source of oxygenated species, required for the electro-oxidation of CO to CO2 at overpotentials lower than that for pure Pt. The electronic effect can be discussed in terms of the changes of the position of the Pt 5d-band center induced by the presence of the second metal that modifies the CO adsorption energy, reducing the CO coverage on Pt, and leaving more free Pt sites available for H2 electro-oxidation. These effects will be discussed using on-line DEMS measurements and in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) analyses. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Authors thank FAPESP, CNPq and CAPES, Brazil, for the financial support. REFERENCES [1] Pereira, L. G. S., Paganin, V. A., Ticianelli, E. A. Electrochimica Acta, 54, 192 (2009). [2] Rocha, T. A., Ibanhi, F., Colmati, F., Linares, J. J., Paganin, V. A., Gonzalez, E. R. Journal of Applied Electrochemistry, 43, 817 (2013). Figure 1

A polymer-coated carbon black-based fuel cell electrocatalyst with high CO-tolerance and durability in direct methanol oxidation

The design and fabrication of a highly durable and carbon monoxide (CO) tolerant catalyst for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) is highly required since the DMFCs are promising power sources in the near future. Here we describe the finding that a fuel cell catalyst composed of carbon black, poly[2,2′-(2,6-pyridine)-5,5′-bibenzimidazole] and platinum that was coated by a polymer acid, poly(vinylphosphonic acid), shows a high durability and CO tolerance in the methanol oxidation reaction, which has been revealed by electrochemical methods together with a transmission electron microscopy study.

Effect of different fuel options on performance of high-temperature PEMFC (proton exchange membrane fuel cell) systems

High-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs) have received substantial attention due to their high CO (carbon monoxide) tolerance and simplified water management. The hydrogen and CO fractions affect the HT-PEMFC performance and different fuel sources for hydrogen production result in different product gas compositions. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the theoretical performance of HT-PEMFCs fueled by the reformate gas derived from various fuel options (i.e., methane, methanol, ethanol, and glycerol). Effects of fuel types and CO poisoning on the HT-PEMFC performance are analyzed. Furthermore, the necessity of a water-gas shift (WGS) reactor as a CO removal unit for pretreating the reformate gas is investigated for each fuel type. The methane steam reforming shows the highest possibility of CO formation, whereas the methanol steam reforming produces the lowest quantity of CO in the reformate gas. The methane fuel processing gives the maximum fraction of hydrogen (≈0.79) when the WGS reactor is included. The most suitable fuel is the one with the lowest CO poisoning effect and the maximum fuel cell performance. It is found that the HT-PEMFC system fueled by methanol without the WGS reactor and methane with WGS reactor shows the highest system efficiency (≈50%).

Three-dimensional non-isothermal modeling of carbon monoxide poisoning in high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells with phosphoric acid doped polybenzimidazole membranes

The performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) degrades when carbon monoxide ( CO) is present in the supplied fuel, which is referred to as CO poisoning. Even though the high temperature PEMFC (HT-PEMFC) with a typical operating temperature range from 100 °C to 200 °C features higher CO tolerance than the conventional PEMFC operating at lower than 100 °C, the performance degradation of HT-PEMFC is still significant with high CO concentrations (e.g. ⩾0.5% CO by volume at 130 °C) in the supplied fuel. In this study, a CO poisoning model is developed for HT-PEMFCs with phosphoric acid doped polybenzimidazole (PBI) membranes. The present three-dimensional non-isothermal model compares well with published experimental data at various operating temperatures and CO concentrations in the supplied fuel. It is found that the CO adsorption/desorption processes follow Langmuir kinetics in HT-PEMFCs instead of the well-known Temkin kinetics in conventional PEMFCs. The results indicate that a HT-PEMFC can operate with sufficiently good performance at 130 °C or higher with hydrogen gas produced by methanol reforming with selective oxidation process, and at 160 °C or higher even without the selective oxidation process. At high current densities, it is also observed that severe performance degradation due to CO poisoning only occurs if the volume averaged hydrogen coverage is lower than 0.1 in the anode catalyst layer (CL).

Electrooxidation of ethanol on novel multi-walled carbon nanotube supported platinum–antimony tin oxide nanoparticle catalysts

We synthesize the new Pt based catalyst for direct ethanol fuel cells using novel multi-walled carbon nanotubes supported platinum–antimony tin oxide (Pt–ATO/MWCNT) nanoparticle as new catalyst support for the first time. The structure of Pt–ATO/MWCNT catalyst is characterized by transmission electron micrograph (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The electrocatalytic properties of Pt–ATO/MWCNT catalyst for ethanol electrooxidation reactions are investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometric experiments in acidic medium. The electrocatalytic activity for ethanol electrooxidation reaction shows that high carbon monoxide tolerance and good stability of Pt–ATO/MWCNT catalyst compared with Pt–SnO 2/MWCNT and commercial Pt/C are observed. These results imply that Pt–ATO/MWCNT catalyst has promising potential applications in direct alcohol fuel cells.

Sub-nano-Pt cluster supported on graphene nanosheets for CO tolerant catalysts in polymer electrolyte fuel cells

The carbon monoxide (CO) tolerance performance of polymer electrode fuel cells (PEFCs) was studied for a catalyst composed of graphene nanosheets (GNS) with sub-nano-Pt clusters. The Pt catalysts supported on the GNS showed a higher CO tolerance performance in the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR), which was significantly different from that of platinum on carbon black (Pt/CB). It is proposed that the presence of the sub-nano-Pt clusters promotes the catalytic activity and that the substrate carbon material alters the catalytic properties of Pt via the interface interactions between the graphene and the Pt.

Excellent dispersion and electrocatalytic properties of Pt nanoparticles supported on novel porous anatase TiO2 nanorods

We synthesize, for the first time, a new Pt based catalyst for direct methanol fuel cells using homemade novel porous anatase TiO2 nanorods as a new catalyst support. Pt nanoparticles are prepared by an improved ethylene glycol reduction method and supported on the surface of TiO2 with excellent dispersion and without any aggregates. The structure and elemental composition of the TiO2 and Pt/TiO2 catalyst are characterized by transmission electron micrography (TEM), nitrogen sorption, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The electrocatalytic properties of the Pt/TiO2 catalyst for methanol and carbon monoxide electro-oxidation reactions are investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) in an acidic medium. Apparent electrocatalytic activity for methanol electro-oxidation reaction, high carbon monoxide tolerance and good stability are all observed for the Pt/TiO2 catalyst. These may be attributed to the excellent dispersion of the Pt nanoparticles and the special properties of the TiO2 support. These results imply that this Pt/TiO2 catalyst has promising potential applications in direct methanol fuel cells.

Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell High Carbon Monoxide Tolerance Operation Using Pulsed Heating and Pressure Swing

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are attractive power plants for use in many applications, including portable power sources, electric vehicles, and on-site combined power/heat plants. Despite the advantages, one of the significant obstacles to PEMFC commercialization is the low tolerance to carbon monoxide (CO). Ideally, PEMFCs should use pure hydrogen fuel. However, because of the difficulties inherent in storing hydrogen onboard, there is an increasing interest in using hydrogen-rich gases produced by reforming hydrocarbon fuels. Fuel reformer produces hydrogen containing a small amount of CO. PEMFC performance degrades when CO is present in the fuel gas, referred to as CO poisoning. This paper presents the results of a novel PEMFC performance study using a pulsed heating device and the feeding channel pressure swing method to mitigate the CO poisoning problem. The effectiveness of these strategies is demonstrated through simulation and experimental work on a single cell. By applying a transient localized heating to the catalyst layer while maintaining the PEMFC membrane at a normal temperature (below 80°C) and by using the feeding channel pressure swing, significant enhancement in the carbon monoxide tolerance level of PEMFCs was found. These approaches could potentially eliminate the need for an expensive selective oxidizer. The CO poisoning process is generally slow and reversible. After applying pulsed heating, the transient high temperature in the catalyst layer could help the recovery of the PEMFC from CO poisoning. By using feeding channel pressure swing, oxygen can easily diffuse into the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) from the outlet port and promote a quick recovery. Using these operational strategies, a PEMFC could operate continually using a high CO concentration fuel.