We may be able to consume less energy, emit fewer pollutants, and rely less on fossil fuels if we adopt polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells, which effectively and directly convert the chemical energy held in hydrogen fuel to electrical energy with water as the only waste. A lot of work has been put into advancing PEM fuel cell technology and basic research in the past, especially during the last couple of decades or so. The biggest obstacles to the commercialization of fuel cells continue to be ones like costs and durability. Although a lifespan of about 2500 h (for transportation PEM fuel cells) was obtained in 2009, it still has to be doubled to satisfy the DOE's objective, i.e., 5000 h. To get through these obstacles, breakthroughs are urgently required.