New Progress in Fuel Cell

Recently, researchers of Applied Plasma Division (APD) at Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, have found a way to prepare new kind of direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFCs) by low temperature plasma techniques, potentially making the fuel cell higher efficiency and less expensive. The key is to use the high active and flexibility of low temperature plasma as an advanced tool to synthesis key components of DAFCs.

　  “By conventional techniques, the preparation of a single fuel cell needs plenty of complicated steps. The reagents which used in the process not only bring some environment problems but also damage the membrane and catalysts. Besides, the limitations of conventional membrane-electrode-assembly (MEA) play an important role of limit the efficiency of DAFCs,” said Prof. Meng Yuedong, former head of APD, “The synthesis of DAFC membrane, electrode and MEA by low temperature plasma is just right for these shortcomings.”

　  The research results have been described in papers publishing in several international journals, two of them are as the cover papers of Chemical Communications and Plasma Processes and Polymers. (Zhang Chengxu Reports)