The 2‐Propanol Fuel Cell: A Review from the Perspective of a Hydrogen Energy Economy
Matthew Brodt, Karsten Müller, Jochen Kerres, Ioannis Katsounaros, Karl J. J. Mayrhofer, Patrick Preuster, Peter Wasserscheid, Simon Thiele
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 CO 2 ) 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.