Fuel Cells
Fuel cell development for transportation needs began at Los Alamos. We advanced hydrogen-fueled systems from 1977 onwards, delivering capabilities for national security needs.

Summary
Los Alamos initiated fuel cell development for transportation in 1977; over the next 50 years, the Laboratory developed many seminal patents. The thin-film, low-platinum electrode for the polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell (1986–1992) lowered the required amount of expensive platinum metal catalyst by 20–40 times while improving performance. This breakthrough interested automotive manufacturers in fuel cells; PEMs are incorporated into every fuel-cell vehicle sold.
Fundamental understanding of fuel cell processes, especially electrode kinetics, water transport, Nafion structure, and degradation mechanisms have delivered notable fuel cell improvements, including better durability, advanced platinum cathode catalysts, platinum group–free cathode catalysts, and the first comprehensive fuel cell model.
With the development of the fuel cell for transportation, interest in hydrogen as both a fuel and for other uses has dramatically grown.
Contributing authors
Rod Borup and Piotr Zelenay
References
The first comprehensive model of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells:
- Polymer electrolyte fuel cell model, Springer, T. E, T. A. Zawodzinski, and S. Gottesfeld. Journal of The Electrochemical Society 138, no. 8 (1991): 2334–42.
The technology that reduced loading of platinum used in all commercial transportation fuel cells by 20-to-40 times:
- Thin-film catalyst layers for polymer electrolyte fuel cell electrodes, Wilson, M.S. and S. Gottesfeld. Journal of Applied Electrochemistry 22 (1992): 1–7.
The first comprehensive review related to PEM fuel cell durability:
- Scientific Aspects of Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Durability and Degradation, Borup, Rod, Jeremy Meyers, Bryan Pivovar et al. Chemical Reviews 107, no. 10 (2007): 3904–3951.
Non–precious metal catalysts with performance approaching that of platinum-based systems:
- High-Performance Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction Derived from Polyaniline, Iron, and Cobalt Wu, Gang, Karren L. More, Christina M. Johnston, and Piotr Zelenay. Science 332 (2011): 443–447.
Anion exchange membrane (AEM) with performance approaching that of state-of-the-art proton exchange membrane:
- Highly quaternized polystyrene ionomers for high performance anion exchange membrane water electrolysers, Li, Dongguo, Eun Joo Park, Wenlei Zhu et al. Nature Energy 5, no. 5 (2020): 378–385.