The 2-Propanol Fuel Cell: A Review from the Perspective of a Hydrogen Energy Economy

Brodt M, Mueller K, Kerres J, Katsounaros I, Mayrhofer K, Preuster P, Wasserscheid P, Thiele S (2021)

Publication Type: Journal article, Review article

Publication year: 2021

Journal

Energy Technology Wiley-Blackwell

DOI: 10.1002/ente.202100164

Abstract

The 2-propanol fuel cell has been shown to hold several key advantages over the more established methanol fuel cell, including a comparably high real open-circuit voltage, reduced fuel crossover through a Nafion membrane and a benign toxicological fuel profile. In addition, while the highly selective partial oxidation of 2-propanol to acetone in a fuel cell (rather than the more typical complete combustion of organic fuels to CO2) has been viewed as a disadvantage in the past, recent work has shown that the 2-propanol/acetone couple is compatible with traditional hydrocarbon liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) systems though transfer hydrogenation. With this approach, a disadvantage of hydrogen LOHC logistics—the steep energy cost of dehydrogenation that must be provided during energy-lean times—can be largely avoided. This LOHC compatibility along with the potential for high fuel-cell performance could place the 2-propanol fuel cell (also referred to as the direct isopropanol fuel cell or DIFC) in a position to enable a hydrogen energy economy while avoiding the drawbacks of molecular hydrogen transport and storage. In this Review, the purpose is to ascertain the state-of-the-art of DIFCs—an understudied yet promising research area with unique advantages and challenges.

Authors with CRIS profile

Ioannis Katsounaros Lehrstuhl für Elektrokatalyse (HIERN) Karl Mayrhofer Lehrstuhl für Elektrokatalyse (HIERN) Patrick Preuster Lehrstuhl für Chemische Reaktionstechnik Peter Wasserscheid Lehrstuhl für Chemische Reaktionstechnik Simon Thiele Professur für Electrocatalytic Interface Engineering (HIERN)

Involved external institutions

Forschungszentrum Jülich / Research Centre Jülich (FZJ) DE Germany (DE) Universität Rostock DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Brodt, M., Mueller, K., Kerres, J., Katsounaros, I., Mayrhofer, K., Preuster, P.,... Thiele, S. (2021). The 2-Propanol Fuel Cell: A Review from the Perspective of a Hydrogen Energy Economy. Energy Technology. https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ente.202100164

MLA:

Brodt, Matthew, et al. "The 2-Propanol Fuel Cell: A Review from the Perspective of a Hydrogen Energy Economy." Energy Technology (2021).

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