Novel materials for fuel cells

Fuel cells work in a similar way to electrical batteries but instead of the fuel supply being a solid or liquid inside the battery, the fuel - usually hydrogen gas - is pumped into the cell. The hydrogen passes through to the anode where it is oxidised by a platinum catalyst, and electrons are released in the process. At the cathode hydrogen is oxidised to water. The charge transfer within the fuel cell is brought about by the movement of ions through an electrolyte between the anode and the cathode. The electrons flow from the anode through the external electrical load to the cathode, producing an electric current.