Issue 35, 2019

Nanocellulose-based materials as components of polymer electrolyte fuel cells

Abstract

Hydrogen is a clean energy carrier and fuel cells (FCs) are an efficient conversion technology, and thus have become mainstream research topics that could contribute to sustainable and clean energy supply in modern society. Among the various hydrogen FC types that convert chemical energy into electrical energy via redox reactions, polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) are the most studied technology due to their vast range of applications both mobile and stationary. The use of bio-based materials as substrates for the manufacture of the key constituent components of FCs, to minimize the impact of their production, although in its infancy, is growing exponentially as part of the general concern for sustainability. In fact, natural polymers such as cellulose (i.e. the most abundant biopolymer), and in particular its nanoscale forms, viz. cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) and bacterial nanocellulose (BNC), are appropriate materials to engineer the key components of PEFCs, namely the ion-exchange membrane and the catalyst layer (anode and cathode). Despite the intense R&D activity, little has been reviewed about the potential application of these three forms of cellulose with at least one dimension in the nanoscale in the field of FCs. Hence, the overarching goal of this review is to concentrate on the most recent efforts in the domain of bio-based PEFC components, namely the ion-exchange membrane and the electrodes, by targeting the use of nanocellulose as a renewable and easily foldable or stackable nanomaterial. The application of these nanocellulose-based components in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) is also covered.

Graphical abstract: Nanocellulose-based materials as components of polymer electrolyte fuel cells

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
10 liep. 2019
Accepted
05 rugp. 2019
First published
21 rugp. 2019

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2019,7, 20045-20074

Nanocellulose-based materials as components of polymer electrolyte fuel cells

C. Vilela, A. J. D. Silvestre, F. M. L. Figueiredo and C. S. R. Freire, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2019, 7, 20045 DOI: 10.1039/C9TA07466J

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements