Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy

The Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy (HI-ERN) investigates and develops material- and process-based solutions for a climate-neutral, sustainable, and cost-effective utilization of renewable energies. It is a part of Forschungszentrum Jülich and has strong collaborations with Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB). The institute combines expertise in materials research, chemical engineering, and electrochemistry.

A key area of innovation at the institute is the development of Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier (LOHC) systems, which enable the safe and efficient storage of hydrogen. Within this field, HI-ERN pioneers research into Direct Isopropanol Fuel Cells (DIFCs), exploring novel membranes and catalysts to convert isopropanol directly into electricity, closing the energy cycle efficiently.

IsoPROPEL aligns perfectly with our strategic objective to make hydrogen storage and conversion technologies economically viable and technically robust. The project allows us to leverage our expertise in electrocatalytic interface engineering and material development. Our goal is to overcome the current limitations of Direct Isopropanol Fuel Cells (DIFCs), specifically the issues of fuel crossover and catalyst poisoning. By developing systems with high tolerance to isopropanol and acetone, we aim to demonstrate that DIFCs can serve as a feasible carbon-neutral alternative to conventional energy conversion approaches. Participating in this consortium enables us to push this technology from the laboratory scale toward real-world application, directly supporting our mission to enable a sustainable hydrogen economy without the logistical hurdles of molecular hydrogen gas.

HI-ERN is responsible for the development of the core electrochemical components of the DIFCs. Our team will design and optimize membrane electrode assemblies that are specifically engineered to operate efficiently even at high fuel concentrations.

Our primary activity involves developing novel cell architectures that incorporate materials with high tolerance to both isopropanol and its oxidation product, acetone. This ensures the fuel cell maintains high power density and longevity during operation, effectively mitigating the material degradation and catalyst poisoning effects that typically degrade performance in direct alcohol fuel cells.