Recent advances in fuel cell technologies from ENGINEERING Energy

Fuel cell technologies are playing an increasingly important role in the energy field. Over the past two years, researchers publishing in ENGINEERING Energy (formerly Frontiers in Energy) have reported significant advances in fuel cell research. A selection of these articles is recommended for free reading—explore the latest advances in fuel cell research.

1. An ultra-low platinum loading ORR electrocatalyst with high efficiency: Synergistic effects of Pt and Fe-N-C support

Summary: The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) plays a crucial role in key processes of fuel cells and zinc-air batteries. To enable commercialization, reducing the platinum (Pt) content and increasing the specific activity per unit mass is essential. A promising approach involves synthesizing of Fe-N-C precursors via the polyaniline (PANI) pathway, which ensures a uniform distribution of Fe-N-C species and facilitates the subsequent adsorption of platinum ions. This leads to the formation of Pt-Fe bimetallic alloys. The synergistic interaction between Pt and Fe-N-C sites promotes the homogeneous dispersion of Pt and the formation of smaller particle sizes, which in turn enhances intrinsic activity and stability of the catalyst. Notably, the Pt/Fe-N-C catalyst, featuring an ultra-low Pt loading of just 1.79 wt%, exhibits a remarkable doubling of mass activity compared to conventional catalysts. Moreover, zinc-air batteries using this catalyst achieve an impressive peak power density of 200 mW/cm².

Free read: https://rdcu.be/feilr

Cite this article： Tang, W., Xia, S., Chou, H. et al. An ultra-low platinum loading ORR electrocatalyst with high efficiency: Synergistic effects of Pt and Fe-N-C support. Front. Energy 19, 729–737 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11708-025-1006-4

2. Anti-corrosion carbon support for mass transfer enhancement in low-platinum loaded fuel cells

Summary: The widespread commercial adoption of fuel cells requires continued improvements in cost-effectiveness, performance, and durability. A tree-like nitrogen-doped carbon (T-NC) support structure was developed for low-platinum (Pt) loaded fuel cells. Carbon nanotubes serve as the conductive backbone, while ZIF-8-derived carbon, synthesized from 2-methylimidazole zinc salt, forms the branches that provide attachment sites for platinum group metals (PGMs). In cathodes with a Pt loading of 0.1 mg_Pt/cm², this novel Pt/T-NC electrode exhibited a remarkable 30% reduction in concentration loss at 2.0 A/cm² and a 12.7% increase in peak power density, compared to conventional Pt/C electrodes. Additionally, the corrosion resistance of the electrode was improved. Following 5000 cycles of accelerated durability testing (ADT) for carbon corrosion, the fuel cell retained 50.8% of its original performance, while conventional electrodes retained only 38%. The T-NC structure is broadly applicable for supporting various advanced PGM catalysts. This advancement offers a promising approach to bridge the gap between theoretical catalytic activity and practical output, leading to substantial improvements in both performance and durability of fuel cells.

Free read: https://rdcu.be/feilJ

Cite this article：Qin, Z., Fan, L., Tongsh, C. et al. Anti-corrosion carbon support for mass transfer enhancement in low-platinum loaded fuel cells. Front. Energy 19, 939–948 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11708-025-1042-0

3. Bifunctional Pt/TiO₂-O_v catalysts for enhanced electron transfer and CO tolerance in acidic HOR and ORR

Summary: The development of anti-corrosion and anti-poison electrocatalysts for both the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is of great importance for effective applications of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). In this study, a non-carbon supported catalyst, Pt/TiO₂-O_v, enriched with oxygen vacancies (O_v), is successfully synthesized using a microwave-assisted method. This catalyst is developed as a bifunctional electrocatalyst with superior contamination tolerance, enabling efficient HOR and ORR performance. The electronic metal-support interaction (EMSI) is leveraged to facilitate electron transfer between Pt and Ti atoms, induced by the formation of oxygen vacancy channels in the small-sized, high surface area TiO₂-O_v support. Notably, TiO₂-O_v has a lower bandgap than commercial TiO₂, enhancing its catalytic properties. In a 0.1 mol/L HClO₄ electrolyte, the normalized Pt mass activity (j_k,m) and specific activity (j_0,s) of Pt/TiO₂-O_v are 1.24 times higher than those of commercial Pt/C. Furthermore, Pt/TiO₂-O_v catalyst exhibits minimal current density decay after a prolonged durability testing under hydrogen and oxygen atmospheres. Remarkably, under a H₂/(1000×10⁻⁶) CO atmosphere, the relative retention rate of Pt/TiO₂-O_v significantly exceeds that of Pt/C catalyst, demonstrating its superior CO tolerance and promising potential for practical applications in PEMFCs. This study highlights the critical role of the strong metal-support interaction between the reducible oxide support and the noble metal Pt in improving long-term performance and CO poisoning resistance.

Free read: https://rdcu.be/feikq

Cite this article：Lian, B., Chen, J., Li, L. et al. Bifunctional Pt/TiO2-Ov catalysts for enhanced electron transfer and CO tolerance in acidic HOR and ORR. Front. Energy 19, 793–803 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11708-025-0990-8

4. Current advances and performance enhancement of single atom M-N-C catalysts for PEMFCs

Summary: Single-atom transition metal-nitrogen-doped carbons (SA M-N-Cs) catalysts are promising alternatives to platinum-based catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). However, enhancing their performance for practical applications remains a significant challenge. This review summarizes recent advances in enhancing the intrinsic activity of SA M-N-C catalysts through various strategies, such as tuning the coordination environment and local structure of central metal atoms, heteroatom doping, and the creation of dual-/multi metal sites. Additionally, it discusses methods to increase the density of M-N_x active sites, including chelation, defect capture, cascade anchoring, spatial confinement, porous structure design, and secondary doping. Finally, it outlines future directions for developing highly active and stable SA M-N-C catalysts, providing a comprehensive framework for the design of advanced catalysts.

Free read: https://rdcu.be/feimy

Cite this article：Lin, Y., Li, W., Wang, Z. et al. Current advances and performance enhancement of single atom M-N-C catalysts for PEMFCs. Front. Energy 19, 642–669 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11708-025-1004-6

5. Quantitative contribution of cells and interfaces to SOEC stack performance

Summary: This study employs the method of embedding voltage leads within three cells of an electrolysis stack to investigate the quantitative impact of the electrolysis cells and their interfaces on overall stack performance. A 900-h stability test was conducted at a constant temperature of 750 °C with a current density of 500 mA/cm² and 60 vol.% (volume fraction) water steam content. The results indicate the electrolysis voltage of the stack increased by 0.213 V, while the voltage across the three cells increased by 0.268 V. Post-mortem analysis reveals changes in the three-phase boundary (TPB) and porosity of the Ni-YSZ electrodes across different cells. These structural changes explain the variations in both ohmic resistance and polarization resistance. In contrast, the voltage drop across the current-collecting interface between the interconnect and the cell decreases by 0.055 V, accounting for 25.82% of the total stack degradation. Improved interface contact helps inhibit stack degradation. Future work will further investigate the stability of stack components and their interfaces, aiming to optimize stack design.

Free read: https://rdcu.be/feimM

Cite this article：Wang, X., Han, B., Sang, J. et al. Quantitative contribution of cells and interfaces to SOEC stack performance. Front. Energy 19, 717–728 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11708-025-1018-0

For more information about ENGINEERING Energy, please visit:
https://link.springer.com/journal/11708

For inquiries, please contact:
ENG.Energy@sjtu.edu.cn
qiaoxy@hep.com.cn