Inverted Fuel Cell: Room-Temperature Hydrogen Separation from an Exhaust Gas by Using a Commercial Short-Circuited PEM Fuel Cell without Applying any Electrical Voltage

A short‐circuited PEM fuel cell with a Nafion membrane has been evaluated in the room‐temperature separation of hydrogen from exhaust gas streams. The separated hydrogen can be recovered or consumed in an in situ olefin hydrogenation when the fuel cell is operated as catalytic membrane reactor. With...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2015-06, Vol.54 (27), p.7790-7794
Main Authors: Friebe, Sebastian, Geppert, Benjamin, Caro, Jürgen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Automobile industry
Catalysis
Catalysts
Electric potential
electrocatalysis
Flushing
Fuel cells
hydrogen
Hydrogen storage
membrane
Membrane reactors
Membranes
Separation
Temperature
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:A short‐circuited PEM fuel cell with a Nafion membrane has been evaluated in the room‐temperature separation of hydrogen from exhaust gas streams. The separated hydrogen can be recovered or consumed in an in situ olefin hydrogenation when the fuel cell is operated as catalytic membrane reactor. Without applying an outer electrical voltage, there is a continuous hydrogen flux from the higher to the lower hydrogen partial pressure side through the Nafion membrane. On the feed side of the Nafion membrane, hydrogen is catalytically split into protons and electrons by the Pt/C electrocatalyst. The protons diffuse through the Nafion membrane, the electrons follow the short‐circuit between the two brass current collectors. On the cathode side, protons and electrons recombine, and hydrogen is released. Fuel cell turned on its head: A short‐circuited PEM fuel cell with a Nafion membrane can separate hydrogen from exhaust gases of different compositions at room temperature. The permeated hydrogen can either be obtained using an inert flushing gas or used directly in catalytic hydrogenations or combustion processes with reactive flushing gases.
ISSN:1433-7851
1521-3773
DOI:10.1002/anie.201500751