A fuel cell is a device that provides electrical energy. The cell is used to extract chemical energy from hydrogen gas and convert it to electrical energy. The fuel cell has two electrical terminals, an anode and a cathode, which supply electrical energy to an external electrical load. Inside the cell, hydrogen ions combine with oxygen to form water with the release of electrical energy. The hydrogen molecules are ionized to release electrons that travel through an external circuit thereby setting up an electrical current. The hydrogen ions are then reduced to water by reacting them with oxygen. A fuel cell needs constant supply of the hydrogen fuel to generate power. It can also be a perpetual source of energy as long as the fuel is available. To improve the efficiency of fuel cells, catalysts are used to speed up the chemical reactions in the cell and hence produce more power. This is a paper on the catalysts used in fuel cells.
Platinum is the most commonly used catalyst in fuel cells. Platinum is preferred because it’s very effective in splitting water to hydrogen and oxygen due to its six valence electrons. However, platinum is expensive and there is not enough of it to sustain a widespread industrial application of fuel cells. As a result, research by various institutions has been mounted to identify a substitute for platinum catalysts. For example, researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a fuel cell catalyst from nickel-based compounds that are chemically bound to nanotubes (Graham-Rowe, 2009). Also, researchers from Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea have developed a new catalyst, graphene nanoparticles mixed with iodine (Case Western Reserve University, n.d.). The researchers claim that the graphene catalyst produces 33% more current than cells with platinum catalyst. Also, transition metal carbides are being investigated as possible replacement for platinum in fuel cells (Phys.org, 2013).
Platinum is the best option for use as a catalyst in a fuel cell. However, it’s an expensive and rare substance, which makes it unsuitable for large scale industrial application. This makes fuel cells expensive and hence a poor choice of energy. Therefore, there is need to find possible substitutes for platinum catalyst in fuel cells. As a result, scientists have mounted efforts to establish suitable substitutes in a bid to make fuel cells economically feasible. Nickel-based compounds, graphene nanoparticles mixed with iodine, and transition metal carbides have been touted as cheaper and efficient catalyst options.
References
Graham-Rowe, D. (2009). Using nickel as a catalyst rather than platinum could also mean less- expensive fuels cells. MIT Technology Review. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved from https://www.technologyreview.com/s/416520/a-cheaper-hydrogen- catalyst/
Phys.org. (2013). New catalyst for fuel cells a potential substitute for platinum. Retrieved from http://phys.org/news/2013-12-catalyst-fuel-cells-potential-substitute.html
