Recent Development of Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells and Performance Optimization Strategies: A Review

Anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) are the most promising low-temperature fuel cells and have received extensive attention. Compared to PEMFCs, the cost per unit of power can be significantly reduced for AEMFCs because, in theory, they allow the usage of non-precious metal catalysts and low-cost cell components. Owing to the development of advanced materials and performance improvement strategies, AEMFCs have achieved new records in both initial performance and durability. However, the high performance currently achieved is contingent on certain conditions, e. g., high Pt loading, large gas flowrates, and operation in pure O-2, which are far from practical applications. Therefore, the transition to commercially relevant performance and durability is the next goal of AEMFCs. This paper reviews the performance data of H-2-fueled AEMFCs since 2010 and summarizes possible performance optimization schemes, which can provide useful insights for developing next-generation AEMFCs.