An overview of nanomaterials in fuel cells: Synthesis method and application

The emerging of fuel cell as one of the promising future energy sources is due to its vast advantages and applications. Despite many challenges to commercialize it, nanostructured materials have brought a new innovation and finding in order to overcome them. The utilization of nanomaterials in various components of fuel cell (catalyst, electrolyte/membrane, electrodes) can defeat many restrictions such as expensive materials and fuel crossover that hinder its commercialization. The distinct properties of nanomaterials including their high surface area and unique size effect can greatly increase overall efficiency as well as the performance of cell. This article provides an overview of the current breakthrough in the performance of fuel cell through the employment of nanomaterials in its major components. The development of nanomaterials can be categorized into four classes namely zero-dimensional (0D), one-dimensional (1D), two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) that synthesized by different methods and their current progress in fuel cell application are also addressed. Selecting a suitable synthesizing method for nanomaterials is the primary stage that determines the properties of the catalysts and the membrane fabricated. This article also discusses the parameters involved in the methods used that can affect the cell performance. The advantages and the drawbacks of each method are also reviewed. • The approaches to produce nanomaterials, the advantages and drawbacks are addressed. • Current development of nanomaterials in electrocatalyst and PEM component for fuel cell applications are emphasized. • A summary of nanomaterials application in fuel cell technology and future perspectives are expressed.