Cover Picture: Fundamental and Practical Aspects of Break‐In/Conditioning of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (Chem. Rec. 10/2024)

Break‐in or conditioning phase of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stack plays a crucial role in the final performance as well as durability. The cover picture shows the effects of break‐in with a before and after comparison of the catalyst layer on a submicron scale. This process is deconvoluted into several different mechanisms that may have either beneficial or detrimental effect on PEMFC stack. More details can be found in the article by Mitja Kostelec, Matija Gatalo and Nejc Hodnik (DOl: 10.1002/tcr.202400114