Investigating an electrochemical object

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Research Report

Introduction

            Utilisation of Hydrogen fuel cells is arguably one of the most viable sources of green energy, according to their capacity to convert chemical energy to electrical energy without any hazardous emissions (Dey et al., 2022). In a hydrogen fuel cell, fuel hydrogen is used, it combines with oxygen to form water, electricity and heat. This clean energy technology is fast being adopted in areas like transport and renewable power, because of the search for cleaner sources of energy than fossil fuels (Sadeq et al., 2024).

Chemical Composition and Oxidation Numbers

Hydrogen fuel cells in the use of redox reactions of hydrogen (H₂) and oxygen (O₂). The first step of the reaction takes place at the anode; the anode dissolves hydrogen molecules, producing protons (H⁺) and electrons (e⁻). Though protons move through a proton exchange membrane [PEM], electrons are circulated to an external circuit to produce electricity (Tellez-Cruz et al., 2021). At the cathode there is reaction of oxygen molecules with the protons and electrons to produce water (H₂O).

Key chemicals involved:

• Hydrogen (H₂): Oxidation number of 0 before the reaction, +1 after losing electrons.
• Oxygen (O₂): Oxidation number of 0 before the reaction, -2 after gaining electrons.
• Water (H₂O): Final product formed through the combination of hydrogen and oxygen.

Oxidation and Reduction:

• Oxidation reaction (Anode): H₂ → 2H⁺ + 2e⁻ (Hydrogen loses electrons, becoming oxidized).
• Reduction reaction (Cathode): O₂ + 4H⁺ + 4e⁻ → 2H₂O (Oxygen gains electrons, becoming reduced).

Chemical Reaction and Balancing

The overall redox reaction in a hydrogen fuel cell is as follows:

2H2​+O2​→2H2​O

To balance the reaction under acidic conditions:

1. Write the half-reactions:
   • Anode (Oxidation): H2→2H+ + 2e−
   • Cathode (Reduction): O2​+4H++4e−→2H2​O
2. Balance the number of electrons:
   • Multiply the anode half-reaction by 2 to balance the electrons.
   • The overall balanced equation becomes 2H2​+O2​→2H2​O.

This balanced reaction reflects the stoichiometry of hydrogen reacting with oxygen to produce water and electricity.

Operation of Half-Cells

            A hydrogen fuel cell consists of two half-cells: the anode which is a negative electrode and the cathode which is a positive electrode (Dincer & Siddiqui, 2020). In case of anode, the hydrogen experience oxidation where it is stripped off into protons and electrons. The protons move through the proton exchange membrane while the electrons are also sent through an external circuit generating an electric current. The oxygen confirmed at the cathode side is reduced through giving out water through a reduction process to the given protons and electrons.

Anode: Comprises of hydrogen gas (H₂) which oxidizes to emit protons as well as electrons.

Cathode: Composed of oxygen gas (O₂) that gets reduced by accepting protons and electrons to form water (H₂O).

An example of an empowering question developed was, “What makes hydrogen fuel cells qualify as a sustainable energy?” Some studies found that hydrogen fuel cells held large edges over conventional combustion form of power production processes. There are no emissions of greenhouse gases; only water and heat are released to the environment therefore are considered as green technologies. While comparing hydrogen fuel cells and rechargeable batteries it was seen that this source boasts of longer and efficient energy delivery in mechanical applications such as vehicles and Rechargeable batteries on the other hand, are recommended of the smaller portable devices due to their energy density (Asmare et al., 2024).

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Environmental and Societal Impacts

Hydrogen fuel cells welfare with society and the environment are quite impactful. From the environmental perspective, they assist to minimize the utilization of fossil energy and hence decrease the volumes of carbon emission hence a carrying out the fight against climate change (Wang et al., 2021). In the transportation sector, FCVs are a clean technology to gasoline and diesel engines with potential to reduce impacts of air pollution on public health (Reddy et al., 2024). To the communities especially in areas with high level of pollution, hydrogen fuel cells are relatively healthier as they minimize the cases of respiratory diseases resulting from pollution. However, the generation of hydrogen fuel, which is mostly done through natural gas reforming, is not completely free from environmental effects. Therefore, it is required to convert green hydrogen production process where renewable energy sources such as wind or solar are employed to enhance environmental impact of hydrogen fuel cells.

Possible Alternatives and Efficiency

            Other alternatives exist for hydrogen fuel cells such as electric batteries, biofuels and even synthetic fuels. These alternatives also have strengths and limitation of its own which will further discussed on the next section. Internal combustion engines like those in HEVs have lower energy efficiency of electricity yet they face problems like energy storage capacity, charging infrastructure, and the issue of battery manufacture and disposal (Yadlapalli et al., 2022). Biofuels are produced from organic matter and have a renewed source of energy compared to fossil fuels, but also release emissions during burning, and may interfere with foods for land usage (Wang et al., 2021). Synthetic fuels are expected to be carbon-neutral if CO2 is captured from the atmosphere together with water by electrolysis using renewable energy and converted into fuels through Fischer–Tropsch synthesis; however, the process is costly at present.

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In a sustainable perspective, hydrogen fuel cells can be a value proposition since hydrogen can be generated through the electrolysis water split by renewable energy like wind or via solar. This method, sometimes known as “green hydrogen,” could make fuel cells as environmentally friendly (Nnabuife et al., 2024). Furthermore, current developments in both catalysts’ materials and in the efficiency of the membranes are anticipated to gradually cut costs, extend the durability of the fuel cells and increase performance of hydrogen fuel cells making them an efficient energy source in the future.

Conclusion

            Hydrogen fuel cells are among the most innovative and sustainable solutions to fight carbon emissions and transition to cleaner energy systems. The redox reactions that occur within these cells enable efficient hydrogen utilization and electricity generation, with water being the only by-product. This makes them a key focus in environmental science and energy research.

However, certain limitations remain—particularly in the production and storage of hydrogen that powers these systems. These challenges present opportunities for further scientific exploration. Continued advancements in research are expected to enhance the efficiency and applicability of hydrogen fuel cells across various sectors. With improved technologies and practical applications, hydrogen fuel cells could play a pivotal role in solving global energy and environmental challenges—making this a critical topic for any science assignment focused on sustainable technologies.

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References

Asmare, M., Zegeye, M., & Ketema, A. (2024). Advancement of electrically rechargeable metal-air batteries for future mobility. Energy Reports, 11, 1199–1211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2023.12.067

Dey, S., Sreenivasulu, A., Veerendra, G. T. N., Rao, K. V., & Babu, P. A. (2022). Renewable energy present status and future potentials in India: An overview. Innovation and Green Development, 1(1), 100006. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.igd.2022.100006

Dincer, I., & Siddiqui, O. (2020). Fundamentals. In Elsevier eBooks (pp. 13–32). https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-822825-8.00002-5

Nnabuife, S. G., Hamzat, A. K., Whidborne, J., Kuang, B., & Jenkins, K. W. (2024). Integration of renewable energy sources in tandem with electrolysis: A technology review for green hydrogen production. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2024.06.342

Reddy, V. J., Hariram, N. P., Maity, R., Ghazali, M. F., & Kumarasamy, S. (2024). Sustainable vehicles for decarbonizing the transport sector: A comparison of biofuel, electric, fuel cell and Solar-Powered vehicles. World Electric Vehicle Journal, 15(3), 93. https://doi.org/10.3390/wevj15030093

Sadeq, A. M., Homod, R. Z., Hussein, A. K., Togun, H., Mahmoodi, A., Isleem, H. F., Patil, A. R., & Moghaddam, A. H. (2024). Hydrogen energy systems: Technologies, trends, and future prospects. The Science of the Total Environment, 939, 173622. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173622

Tellez-Cruz, M. M., Escorihuela, J., Solorza-Feria, O., & Compañ, V. (2021). Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs): Advances and Challenges. Polymers, 13(18), 3064. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13183064

Wang, F., Harindintwali, J. D., Yuan, Z., Wang, M., Wang, F., Li, S., Yin, Z., Huang, L., Fu, Y., Li, L., Chang, S. X., Zhang, L., Rinklebe, J., Yuan, Z., Zhu, Q., Xiang, L., Tsang, D. C., Xu, L., Jiang, X., . . . Chen, J. M. (2021). Technologies and perspectives for achieving carbon neutrality. The Innovation, 2(4), 100180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xinn.2021.100180

Yadlapalli, R. T., Kotapati, A., Kandipati, R., & Koritala, C. S. (2022). A review on energy efficient technologies for electric vehicle applications. Journal of Energy Storage, 50, 104212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2022.104212