Metal Alloy-Based Electrocatalysts in Fuel Cells Applications

Fuel cells have become an interesting technological advance due to their environmental friendliness, high energy conversion efficiency, affordability, and long operational life. They can efficiently convert the chemical energy of fuel into electrical energy via a redox reaction at the anode, all while avoiding the release of greenhouse gases, positioning them as a leading energy production technology. Various fuels such as carbon-neutral hydrogen (H2) and ammonia (NH3) can be used in alkaline exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs), but the slow kinetics of the ammonia oxidation, alkaline hydrogen oxidation, and oxygen reduction reactions, along with suboptimal catalysts, limit fuel cell technology advancements. AEMFCs are expected to match or exceed the performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells, which usually require costly platinum group metals (PGMs). This chapter reviews fuel cells, detailing their components, operating principles, types, and electrode materials, while addressing critical factors affecting performance. It emphasizes metal electrocatalysts for alkaline hydrogen oxidation, ammonia oxidation, and oxygen reduction, particularly focusing on PGM-free catalysts and recent advancements in catalysis. We firmly believe that this chapter will provide worldwide scientific knowledge and guidelines for designing electrocatalysts for alkaline electrode reactions, thereby accelerating the further advancement of the AEMFC technology