A high-temperature anion-exchange membrane fuel cell

In the past few years, developments in anion exchange membranes (AEMs) have led to a significant increase in hydroxide conductivities, ultimately yielding striking improvements in the performance of anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) at low operating temperatures, usually at 40–80 °C. Aside from these remarkable achievements, the literature is void of any work on AEMFCs operated at temperatures above 100 °C, despite the consensus from various models remarking that working at higher cell temperatures may lead to many significant advantages. In this work, we present the first high-temperature AEMFC (HT-AEMFC) tested at 110 °C. The HT-AEMFC exhibits high performance, with a peak power density of 2.1 W cm−2 and a current density of as high as 574 mA cm−2 measured at 0.8 V. This initial work represents a significant landmark for the research and development of the fuel cell technology, opening a wide door for a new field of research we call hereafter, HT-AEMFCs. [Display omitted] •For the first time, AEMFC performance was evaluated at high-temperature of 110 °C.•At 110 °C the AEM showed a record high hydroxide conductivity of ca. 300 mS cm−1.•Excellent cell performance achieved – 2.1 W cm−2 peak and 574 mA cm−2 at 0.8 V.•The AEMFC showed good stability measured for 50 h at 110 °C.•This first test opens the doors for a new research field we call “HT-AEMFCs”.