Unraveling mysteries of hydrogen electrooxidation in anion exchange membrane fuel cells

Anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) can potentially revolutionize the energy generation market; however, to be seriously considered as a real alternative to the mainstream fuel cell technology, complete removal of previous metal electrocatalysts needs to be achieved. While in cathode electrodes platinum can be easily substituted, the electrochemical hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) in the AEMFC anodes currently involves prohibitive overpotential losses, making the removal of platinum extremely challenging. Understanding the HOR in AEMFCs will facilitate the path to overcome the challenge and finally develop and demonstrate platinum-free high-performance AEMFC devices.