Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is a promising energy-convert technology. However, the preparation, storage, and transportation of the main fuel, hydrogen, have technical difficulties that hinder the commercialization of fuel cells. Organic liquid at room temperature with high energy density is preferred as the ideal fuel, such as gasoline. Herein, we propose a proof-of-concept PEMFC system that first oxidizes gasoline and generates power at room temperature. In this system, phosphotungstic acid (PTA) serves as the medium energy carrier, obtaining energy from gasoline and releasing it in fuel cells. A peak power density of 5.04 mW cm-2 is reached after optimization. The reaction mechanism is further investigated by using two main compositions of gasoline, toluene, and methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) to react with PTA. The results further highlight the advantage of PTA in avoiding impurities doping. The newly designed system gives an innovative idea for the use of gasoline.
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