Integration of formic acid dehydrogenation with electrochemical pumping for the generation of clean hydrogen

Abstract

Hydrogen purification is a crucial challenge for the efficient use of hydrogen as a sustainable energy carrier. However, systems combining the formation of hydrogen from easily transportable liquid organic carriers with purification after release are rarely reported. Here, we present an integrated system combining formic acid dehydrogenation (FADH) and electrochemical hydrogen pumping (EHP) for hydrogen purification. The [RuCl₂(p-cymene)]₂-catalysed dehydrogenation of formic acid generated stable H₂-CO₂ mixtures with ratios of 1 : 1 and 2 : 1. Small-scale EHP tests demonstrated that a supported PdPt catalyst exhibits high hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) activity and enhanced CO tolerance compared to a Pt benchmark catalyst. This integrated system offers a promising approach for hydrogen purification with potential applications in fuel cells and hydrogen storage systems.