Tungsten-containing hydrogen-storage materials for anodes of PEM fuel cells

A proton exchange membrane fuel cell configured to receive hydrogen gas as the fuel and oxygen gas or air as an oxidant, the fuel cell comprising:

• a proton exchange membrane having an anode side and an opposing cathode side, the membrane being conductive of protons from the anode side to the cathode side of the membrane;
• a cathode disposed on the cathode side of the proton exchange membrane which is configured to receive an oxygen or air flow;
• and
• an anode material coating layer disposed on the anode side of the proton exchange membrane which is configured to receive a hydrogen flow, the anode material coating layer comprising:
• (a) particles of a platinum catalyst material supported on particles of carbon for the oxidation of hydrogen to protons and electrons, and (b) tungsten-containing particles comprising WO3 physically mixed with the carbon-supported platinum catalyst particles in a mass ratio in the range of about one part to about three parts tungsten-containing particles per part of the carbon-supported platinum catalyst particles, the tungsten-containing particles being employed for storage of hydrogen during hydrogen flow to the anode material coating layer and release of the hydrogen to the carbon-supported platinum catalyst particles upon an interruption of the hydrogen flow to a portion of the anode material coating layer.