DOI: 10.1002/advs.78361 ISSN: 2198-3844

Synergistic Charge Scavenging in Pt/C‐Polyoxometalate Systems for Scalable Biomass Power Generation via Super‐Reduced Electrolytes

Hojin Lee, Hyeong‐Jin Lee, Jongseo Lee, Sang‐Soo Han, Sangjin Park, Eun Seon Cho, Hee‐Tak Kim

ABSTRACT

Direct electrochemical conversion of unrefined biomass waste into electricity offers a sustainable pathway for decentralized energy generation, yet its practical implementation has been fundamentally hindered by low power densities and limited scalability. A fundamental bottleneck lies in the intrinsic recalcitrance of biomass, which restricts electron harvesting to shallow oxidation pathways and confines redox mediators to low reduction states. Here, we demonstrate a scalable biomass flow fuel cell (BFFC) enabled by a super‐reduced polyoxometalate (POM) electrolyte that overcomes the long‐standing electron‐harvesting ceiling. By employing a catalytic oxidative degradation strategy that promotes extensive cleavage of recalcitrant C─C linkages in the lignocellulosic matrix, we unlock deep multi‐electron reduction of POM, achieving an electron transfer capacity exceeding four electrons per molecule. As a result, the single‐cell device delivers a record‐breaking power density of 218.6 mW cm − 2 . Beyond laboratory‐scale demonstrations, we constructed a 10‐cell stack prototype, producing 59.2 Wh over 15.6 h of stable operation directly from raw biomass.

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