A Direct Formaldehyde Fuel Cell for CO2‐Emission Free Co‐generation of Electrical Energy and Valuable Chemical/Hydrogen

Converting carbon‐based molecular fuels into electricity efficiently and cleanly without emitting CO2 remains a challenge. Conventional fuel cells using noble metals as anode catalysts often suffer performance degradation due to CO poisoning and a host of problems associated with CO2 production. Thi...

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Published in:Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2023-05, Vol.62 (21), p.e202302950-n/a
Main Authors: Yang, Yang, Wu, Xuexian, Ahmad, Munir, Si, Fengzhan, Chen, Shujing, Liu, Chunhua, Zhang, Yan, Wang, Lei, Zhang, Jiujun, Luo, Jing‐Li, Fu, Xian‐Zhu
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
1-Electron Pathway
Anode Hydrogen Evolution
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide emissions
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Catalysts
CO-Generation
CO2-Emission Free
Copper
Direct Formaldehyde Fuel Cell
Electricity
Emission analysis
Emissions
Formaldehyde
Fuel cells
Fuel technology
Fuels
Metals
Noble metals
Open circuit voltage
Oxidation
Performance degradation
Synchronism
Synchronization
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Summary:Converting carbon‐based molecular fuels into electricity efficiently and cleanly without emitting CO2 remains a challenge. Conventional fuel cells using noble metals as anode catalysts often suffer performance degradation due to CO poisoning and a host of problems associated with CO2 production. This study provides a CO2‐emission‐free direct formaldehyde fuel cell. It enables a flow of electricity while producing H2 and valuable formate. Unlike conventional carbon‐based molecules electrooxidation, formaldehyde 1‐electron oxidation is performed on the Cu anode with high selectivity, thus generating formate and H2 without undergoing CO2 pathway. In addition, the fuel cell produces 0.62 Nm3 H2 and 53 mol formate per 1 kWh of electricity generated, with an open circuit voltage of up to 1 V and a peak power density of 350 mW cm−2. This study puts forward a zero‐carbon solution for the efficient utilization of carbon‐based molecule fuels that generates electricity, hydrogen and valuable chemicals in synchronization. Highly selective 1‐electron oxidation of formaldehyde enables co‐generation of electricity and H2 with valuable formate in a direct formaldehyde fuel cell without CO2 pathway. This approach not only avoids greenhouse gas emissions but also eliminates negative effects of CO poisoning and carbonate generation.
ISSN:1433-7851
1521-3773
DOI:10.1002/anie.202302950