Comprehensive Review of Fuel-Cell-Type Sensors for Gas Detection

Abstract

Gas detection based on the electrochemical cells has recently been paid attention. Because of the many applications of fuel cell sensors, several investigations have been done on fuel-cell-type sensors for gas detection. In this study, the research works are categorized based on the type of the most used fuel cell sensors, such as CO, H2, methanol, and ethanol. Moreover, the manufacturing, applied technologies and the operating conditions of them, including the limit of detection, detection ranges, and response time of the fuel cells, are reviewed and discussed. Finally, according to the previous investigations that have been carried out, the gaps are introduced and evaluated to prepare beneficial suggestions for future investigations. According to the literature, humidity management using Pt–Cu/C is one of the most used manufacturing methods for improving a fuel cell sensor’s global and specific sensitivity. In addition, Nafion MEA with JM20 exhibits better detection performance of methanol sensors. Moreover, using nanotubes of multiwall carbon and nanoparticles of Pt–Pd in manufacturing shows proven improvements regarding the limit of detection and detection range for ethanol fuel cell sensors. PEFC-type sensor cells can improve the detection of CO to 0.2 ppm. Furthermore, the required targets for hydrogen fuel cell sensors in terms of safety and performance announced by the U.S. Department of Energy, for example, the response time of 1 s, are not reported in the open literature.

Review on Sensors for Sustainable and Safe Maritime Mobility

“…Gas sensors are used to manage hydrogen leakage [112]. According to several types of fuel cell applications, there are specific gas sensors for the possible gas contamination that could happen [6].…”

“…AUVs are systems that exploit sensors to operate in forbidden places for humans, and they need improvements in terms of energy efficiency and underwater orientation. Different from other reviews existing in the scientific literature that just focused on specific topics [6][7][8][9], the novelty here is that this review sees sensors by means of a holistic approach, which explores multiple applications in the maritime sector. This illustrates the fact that it is necessary to know the possible interactions between sensors of different maritime structures (marine vehicles and offshore structures) in order to generate and transmit effectively a huge amount of data, detected by several sensors, to a digital architecture for further post-processing analyses.…”

An electrochemical H2S sensor based on the screen printing Fe@Pt/C/PTFE sensing electrode

“…With reference to the method in the literature, 29,30 the obtained core-shell Fe@Pt catalyst was dispersed in conductive carbon black by a simple physical mixing method, and the Fe@Pt/C catalyst for membrane electrode preparation was obtained. The electrode slurry was composed of the catalytic material (Fe@Pt/C), linking agent (HEC), surfactant (Triton X-100), PTFE emulsion, leveling agent (BYK-333), defoaming agent (BYK-094), deionized water and ethanol.…”

Selective Detection of CO Using Proton-Conducting Graphene Oxide Membranes with Pt-Doped SnO2 Electrocatalysts: Mechanistic Study by Operando DRIFTS

“…Several chemical sensing techniques based on electrochemical, – chemiresistive, – and catalytic combustion – mechanisms have been employed to detect CO at ppm concentrations in air. Among these, solid-state electrochemical gas sensors using ion conductors are promising in terms of their high sensitivity to combustible gases, simple structure, and lower temperature operation. , Potentiometric detection of gaseous species has been extensively studied using proton-, – oxide-, – and sodium-ion – conducting solids. The gas detection relies on the sensor response via the generation of potential differences and mixed potentials upon electrochemical gas reactions.…”