Duan, YuanLiu, HuiyuanKhotseng, Lindiwe2023-04-112023-04-112023Duan, Y. et al. (2023). Materials, components, assembly and performance of flexible polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell: A review. Journal of Power Sources, 555, 232369. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2022.2323691873-2755https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2022.232369http://hdl.handle.net/10566/8722With emerging demand of potable and wearable electronic devices, reliable and flexible energy suppliers are inevitable. Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) attract great attention due to high energy density and sustainability. However, non-bendability limits their application in flexible electronic devices. To make PEMFCs adaptable and flexible, considerable efforts have been devoted to developing various bendable com- ponents or advanced techniques. This review, therefore, focuses on the advancement of components and relative techniques of flexible PEMFCs, which determine the performance and durability, while achieved little concern in other reviews. The components and techniques include membrane, flexible catalytic layer, flexible gas diffusion layer, flexible bipolar plates, assembly of single cell or stack, store or supply of fuel and oxidant. In each section, the materials or techniques commonly used in conventional PEMFCs are summarized firstly, followed by the reasons why they aren’t appliable to flexible PEMFCs and then proceeding to the development of flexible components and relevant techniques of flexible PEMFCs. Subsequently, the flexible PEMFCs’ performance and durability are presented, reaching to 100–200 mW cm and dozens of hours, respectively, still far lower than those of conventional PEMFCs. Finally, a brief perspective on remaining challenges and future development of flexible PEMFCs are providedenChemistryEnergy storagePowerPolymer electrolyte membrane fuel cellsArticle