High-Performance Flow Alkali-Al/Acid Hybrid Fuel Cell for High-Rate H_2 Generation

摘要

Hydrogen (H-2) has been utilized as a versatile feedstock or promising energy carrier in a variety of fields, yet the implementation of high-rate H-2 production presents a grand challenge for its readily accessible application. Herein, a newly alkali-Al/acid hybrid fuel cell (3AHFC) that shows the capability of rapidly producing H-2 upon delivering a considerably high energy density is reported, which is set up by paring Al anode in alkaline anolyte with acidic catholyte and a relatively cheap nanohybrid of Ru nanoparticle decorating crumpled reduced graphene oxide (Ru/c-rGO) as cathode catalysts. It is demonstrated that the 3AHFC can release a power density of up to 240.6 mW cm(-2) with a Faradic efficiency of approaching 99% for fast H-2 generation (300 mA cm(-2)). Such hybrid electrolyte H-2-generation fuel cell can also be extended for either seawater anolyte or metallic Mg anode, presenting great promise for the practice feasibility of on-site H-2 production for applications in tough or even extreme environments.