The commercialization of fuel cells is hampered by a relatively low specific power density, whereas the wide application of devices with high power density, such as supercapacitors, is limited by their insufficient specific energy density. SUN Gongquan and WANG Suli from CAS Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics constructed an improved hybrid system by coupling voltage-sensitive mediators with the catalyst layers of a direct methanol fuel cell. As a result, self-charging processes were achieved on the pseudo-capacitor, increasing the pulse discharge current density of the hybrid power device, in which the constant methanol fuel feeding guaranteed a high energy density of the system.

CAS news release, October 8, 2018