Carbon-free energy: A review of ammonia- and hydrazine-based electrochemical fuel cells

Most low-temperature fuel cells are based on the hydrogen fuel cell in some form, with its high power density and clean oxidation to yield no carbon-containing products. However, due to issues of compression and storage, research has been on-going into alternative "hydrogen-storage" compounds that can deliver similar performance in a more convenient form. The nitrogen hydrides, ammonia and hydrazine, have been candidate materials for fuels for nearly 50 years, but rapid advances in the past 5-6 years have shown them to be front-runners in the race for commercial, high-performance, portable fuel cells. In this review, we briefly summarise the recent advances in ammonia and hydrazine fuel cells.