Not too wet, not too dry: plasma-treated fuel cell gets it just right

(University of British Columbia) Fuel cells hold promise as a clean, renewable source of energy. But keeping them dry has long been a challenge, as they produce water during the process of converting hydrogen and oxygen into electricity. Now University of British Columbia researchers say they may have found a solution: pre-treating the electrode -- a key component of fuel cells -- with ionized oxygen gas, or plasma.