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Scientists make stunning breakthrough with new material vital to next-gen vehicles: 'Offers many advantages'

Helping to make hydrogen fuel cells a more viable alternative.

Helping to make hydrogen fuel cells a more viable alternative.

Photo Credit: Nagoya University

Hydrogen fuel cells are a competitive solution in the quest for sustainable energy sources, but work to scale up the production of the fuel and improve the efficiency of the cells themselves is ongoing. 

Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan have recently made headway with an improved fuel cell design that will allow them to operate more efficiently at higher temperatures and lower humidity, overcoming common hurdles to widespread adoption, as SciTechDaily relayed.  

The use of hydrogen as a fuel is considered environmentally friendly, as its only byproducts are water vapor and heat. Plus, its use offers 40-60% fuel efficiency, compared to only 20% in gasoline combustion engines. 

Hydrogen fuel cells generally consist of an electrolyte layer sandwiched between two electrodes (cathode and anode), with bipolar plates on the outside to help distribute gases and serve as current collectors. 

Polymer Electrolyte Membrane cells are regarded as the most promising for light-duty transportation, as the Department of Energy explained, where a catalyst splits hydrogen into protons and electrons. The membrane traps the protons while letting electrons flow through and provide electricity. 

However, as SciTechDaily noted, many of those use perfluorosulfonic acid polymers, which are categorized as PFAS — also known as toxic forever chemicals — which build up in the environment and pose a risk to living organisms. 

Instead, the research group, led by Atsushi Noro, explored using phosphonic acid hydrocarbon polymers that don't contain fluorine, as the report detailed, making them less likely to persist in the environment. 

The polymers offer greater chemical stability at higher temperatures and lower humidity but are poor conductors and need further protection from water. 

By adding a hydrophobic spacer into the fuel-cell design, the team managed to overcome many of these issues. 

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"Finding a fuel cell that operates under low-humidity and high-temperature conditions offers many advantages for fuel cell vehicles," as Noro explained in the article. 

With the ability to operate at higher temperatures, it enhances "the overall performance of the fuel cell and improves power generation efficiency." And at higher temperatures, there's less chance of electrodes being fouled by carbon monoxide. 

Lastly, more efficient heat dissipation is easier at higher temperatures than low ones, "allowing simpler cooling system designs and no external humidification, enabling lighter and more compact systems," as Noro concluded.

Advances such as these are helping to make hydrogen fuel cells a more viable alternative for our sustainable energy future. They're well-suited for a variety of applications, including transportation, power for buildings, and long-term energy storage for the grid.

Once the industry is able to scale production and deliver hydrogen fuel where it's needed, the transportation industry can more strongly get behind both battery electric and hybrid fuel-cell vehicles as a way to blaze a more sustainable path into the future.

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