| abstract |
A method of generating electricity from a fuel cell (10) comprising the steps of (i) providing a fuel, such as molecular hydrogen, to an anode electrocatalyst (16), (ii) providing an oxygen-containing liquid to a cathode electrocatalyst (18), (iii) converting the fuel to positive ions via the anode electrocatalyst and the anode (12), while simultaneously converting the oxygen-containing liquid to yield hydroxyl or oxygen ions via the cathode electrocatalyst and the cathode (14), and (iv) continuously or periodically reoxidizing the oxygen-containing liquid by contacting the oxygen-containing liquid with molecular oxygen. In the method, at least about 90% of the oxygen provided to the cathode is provided by the oxygen-containing liquid. |