Recent Progress in Catalysts for Hydrogen-Chlorine Regenerative Fuel Cells

The increasing energy demand and the subsequent climate change consequences are supporting the search for sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels. In this scenario, the link between hydrogen and renewable energy is playing a key role and unitized hydrogen-chlorine (H-2-Cl-2) regenerative cells (RFCs) have become promising candidates for renewable energy storage. Described herein are the recent advances in cell configurations and catalysts for the different reactions that may take place in these systems, that work in both modes: electrolysis and fuel cell. It has been found that platinum (Pt)-based catalysts are the best choice for the electrode where hydrogen is involved, whereas for the case of chlorine, ruthenium (Ru)-based catalysts are the best candidates. Only a few studies were found where the catalysts had been tested in both modes and recent advances are focused on decreasing the amount of precious metals contained in the catalysts. Moreover, the durability of the catalysts tested under realistic conditions has not been thoroughly assessed, becoming a key and mandatory step to evaluate the commercial viability of the H-2-Cl-2 RFC technology.