Anion-exchange membrane direct ethanol fuel cells: Status and perspective

Direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) are a promising carbon-neutral and sustainable power source for portable, mobile, and stationary applications. However, conventional DEFCs that use acid proton-exchange membranes (typically Nafion type) and platinum-based catalysts exhibit low performance (i.e., the state-of-the-art peak power density is 79.5 mW/cm2 at 90°C). Anionexchange membrane (AEM) DEFCs that use low-cost AEM and non-platinum catalysts have recently been demonstrated to yield a much better performance (i.e., the state-of-the-art peak power density is 160 mW/cm2 at 80°C). This paper provides a comprehensive review of past research on the development of AEM DEFCs, including the aspects of catalysts, AEMs, and single-cell design and performance. Current and future research challenges are identified along with potential strategies to overcome them. © 2010 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.