II . 1 . 3 Micro and Nano Scale Electrochemistry : Application to Fuel Cells

Introduction Fuel cells offer the tantalizing promise of cleaner electricity with less impact on the environment than traditional energy conversion technologies. This is because fuel cells are direct electrochemical energy conversion devices. In other words, they convert chemical energy, in the form of a fuel and oxidant, directly into electrical energy. Contrast this to combustion engines, which first convert chemical energy into heat, heat into mechanical energy, and finally mechanical energy into electricity.