In the past 10–15 years, the microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology has captured the

attention of the scientific community for the possibility of transforming organic waste

directly into electricity through microbially catalyzed anodic, and

microbial/enzymatic/abiotic cathodic electrochemical reactions. In this review, several

aspects of the technology are considered. Firstly, a brief history of abiotic to biological fuel

cells and subsequently, microbial fuel cells is presented. Secondly, the development of

the concept of microbial fuel cell into a wider range of derivative technologies, called

bioelectrochemical systems, is described introducing briefly microbial electrolysis cells,

microbial desalination cells and microbial electrosynthesis cells. The focus is then shifted

to electroactive biofilms and electron transfer mechanisms involved with solid electrodes.

Carbonaceous and metallic anode materials are then introduced, followed by an

explanation of the electro catalysis of the oxygen reduction reaction and its behavior in

neutral media, from recent studies. Cathode catalysts based on carbonaceous, platinum-

group metal and platinum-group-metal-free materials are presented, along with

membrane materials with a view to future directions. Finally, microbial fuel cell practical

implementation, through the utilization of energy output for practical applications, is

described.

(Carlo Santoro, Catia Arbizzani, Benjamin Erable, Ioannis Leropoulos July 15 2017)

Fuel cells offer attractive solutions in energy converters. Some fuel cells have been used

in large scale vehicles, eg, buses, and others are expected to penetrate a variety of

markets. Such fuel cells also benefit small-size, low-power demands, such as wireless

MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems), including remote sensors, wearable

electronics, and environmental monitoring. This chapter introduces miniaturized fuel

cells for wireless MEMS, analyzes their technologies, compares their performance

parameters, and discusses a specific device, namely the supercapacitor, to utilize

miniaturized fuel cell technologies.

(H. Ren, J. Chae, in Wireless MEMS Networks and Applications, 2017)

A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy from a fuel into

electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen or another oxidizing

agent. Hydrogen is the most common fuel, but hydrocarbons such as natural

gas and alcohols like methanol are sometimes used. Fuel cells are different

from batteries in that they require a constant source of fuel and oxygen to

run, but they can produce electricity continually for as long as these inputs

are supplied.

(S.C. Bhatia, in Advanced Renewable Energy Systems, 2014)

Fuel cells are a type of energy storage device that converts chemical energy from a fuel

into electrical energy by using oxygen and methanol. The green energy of fuel cells could

be obtained from reduction of oxygen (Qu et al., 2004) and oxidation of methanol (Golabi

et al., 2002). Most of the electrocatalytic performance is based on their selection in

suitable electrode materials. Numerous efforts were made in the literature for the

utilization of carbon-based composite materials toward oxygen reduction reactions (Wu,

J. et al., 2011; Wu, S. et al., 2011). One of the main issues connected with fuel cells is
the limited availability of platinum (Pt), which is a candidate catalyst for fuel cell reactions.

After the discovery of graphene, it was found to have widespread applications in fuel cells,

where it can be used as an excellent electrode material because of its excellent

physicochemical properties. Graphene has a high surface area, making it more efficient

than carbon black for dispersing Pt nanoparticles (Xin et al., 2011). However, Pt acts as

an active cathode material and can also be deposited onto other electrode materials to

improve their electrocatalytic properties toward methanol oxidation such as Pt oxides, Pt-

Sn, and Pt-Ru (Hu et al., 1999; Sobkowski et al., 1985; Bell et al., 1998). The new

Pt/graphene catalyst used in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) shows: (i) enhanced

interactions between Pt and graphene; (ii) additional Pt active sites; (iii) less defects on

graphene, thus improving the stability of graphene; and (iv) better ordered Pt surface

morphology, thus introducing more active catalytic sites. Kou et al. (2009) have

synthesized Pt nanoparticle-supported functionalized graphene sheets for the

electrocatalytic reduction of oxygen. The composite has good catalytic activity and better

stability in both electrochemical surface area and oxygen reduction activity. Zhang et al.

(2012) have synthesized graphene/polyallylamine–Au nanocomposites and exploited

them for the electrocatalytic reduction of oxygen. GNSs also have been considered for

polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) because of their higher carbon monoxide (CO)

tolerance (Yoo et al., 2011). The GNS-CNT hybrid nanostructure provides numerous

edge planes with strong electrochemical activity for the achievement of good performance

in fuel cell applications (Du et al., 2012). Graphene-supported Pt electrocatalyst was

prepared for methanol oxidation (Kakaei et al., 2013).

(Sekhar C. Ray, in Applications of Graphene and Graphene-Oxide Based

Nanomaterials, 2015)

Fuel cells have become very important owing to increasing energy requirements

and the need to have environmentally friendly alternatives. In studies over many years, it

has been seen that proton exchange membranes (PEM) have a key role in this

technology. For more than 35 years, DuPont has supplied Nafion perfluorinated

membranes for fuel cells used for space and military programmes. The fuel cell was

supposed to provide electricity and water for an animal orbiting in space in a satellite—

the BIOS satellite programme. Initially, General Electric (GE) was using membranes

made from polystyrene sulphonic acid polymer as the electrolyte in these fuel cells.

(Jayshree Ramkumar, in Functional Materials, 2012)

Source:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/materials-science/fuel-cell
Related Studies

Fuel cells are usually classified on the basis of operating temperature and the type of

electrolyte used (Beguin et al., 2009). The five major types of fuel cells, depending on the

type of electrolytes used, are alkaline (AFC), proton exchange membrane (PEMFC),

molten carbonate (MCFC), phosphoric acid, and solid oxide (SOFC) fuel cells. Direct

methanol fuel cells are a type of PEMFC that directly uses methanol as the fuel. Fuel

cells are different from batteries, as batteries store chemical energy in a closed system

but fuel cells consume reactants. Also, electrodes within a battery react and change as a

battery is charged or recharged. Fuel cells range in size from hand-held systems to

megawatt power stations and operate most efficiently over a narrow range of performance

parameters and at elevated temperature (approximately 100–1000°C). However, fuel

cells are not suitable for high power demands.

(A. Javaid, in Activated Carbon Fiber and Textiles, 2017)

Fuel-cell power technology is considered to be one of the most promising new

power-generation technologies owing to its various merits, such as high power efficiency

and excellent compatibility with the environment. Fuel cells can be broadly classified into

phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFCs), molten carbonate fuel cells, polymer electrolyte fuel

cells (PEFCs), and solid oxide fuel cells. Car manufacturers and electronics companies

are competing to develop PEFCs because of their advantages such as small size and

weight, high power density for normal temperature operation, and excellent start-up

capability.
Carbon is an essential component material in PEFCs. This chapter, while focusing on the

separator, electrocatalyst, and proton conductor, reviews how the research on carbon

materials is involved in improving the performance of PEFCs.

(Hiroshi Shioyama, in Handbook of Advanced Ceramics (Second Edition), 2013)

Fuel cells come in a variety of sizes. Individual fuel cells produce very small amounts of

electricity, about 0.7 volts, so cells are ‘stacked’ or placed in series or parallel circuits, to

increase the voltage and current output to meet an application’s power generation

requirements. In addition to electricity, fuel cells produce water, heat and, depending on

the fuel source, very small amounts of nitrogen dioxide and other emissions. The energy

efficiency of a fuel cell is generally between 40–60 per cent or up to 85 per cent efficient

if waste heat is captured for use.

(Advanced Renewable Energy Systems, 2014)

 A fuel such as hydrogen gas is passed through the porous anode. It reacts in the

catalyst layer forming protons and releasing electrons at the anode to an electric circuit.

The protons diffuse through the ion-exchange membrane and react in the catalyst layer

at the surface of the porous cathode with an oxidizing media such as oxygen gas to form

water and take electrons from the electric circuit. The overall reaction in a fuel cell is the

oxidation of hydrogen by oxygen to water. The reaction has a negative Gibb's free energy.

That means work is done by the system and can be utilized as electrical energy. Fuel

cells are free from the limitations of the Carnot process and thus a very efficient energy

source.

(Ion-Exchange Membrane Separation Processes, In Membrane Science and

Technology, 2004)

Fuel cells convert chemical energy directly into electricity with high efficiency.

Solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have the highest performance and durability. Traditional

SOFCs operate at temperatures above 600 °C, and lowering the temperature to 400–

500 °C is the key to new applications, for example, miniaturized systems with fast

start/stop cycling and self-sustaining operation. A low-temperature SOFC is possible to

achieve by tailoring the various cell components with thin-film technology. This chapter

shows advantages and limitations in the use of thin films for SOFCs, in light of recent

progress in the field.

(Solid-oxide fuel cells V. Esposito, ... N. Pryds, in Epitaxial Growth of Complex

Metal Oxides, 2015)