Membrane electrode assembly is a key component for multiphase mass transport and electrochemical reaction, which determines the performance, durability and cost of proton exchange membrane fuel cell. In this paper, the current technology status and commercial targets for membrane electrode assembly are analyzed. After the two traditional manufacturing methods, the third generation ordered membrane electrode assembly has attracted great research interest in the fuel cell development. The latest progress of the ordered membrane electrode assembly with ultra-low Pt loading in recent years is introduced in detail. Currently the best ordered membrane electrode assembly with 0.118 mg/cm² Pt total loading can achieve the performance of 861 mW/cm² @ 0.692 V, 0.137 g/kW and cost of $5/kW, the Q/△T value also reaches 1.45. From the viewpoint of reducing the Pt content and reducing the cost of the fuel cell power generation system, the ordered membrane electrode assembly with the function of self-humidifiaction is an important direction in the next generation membrane electrode assembly development.

fuel cell  /  membrane electrode assembly  /  nanowire  /  nanotube  /  nanostructured thin film