Issue 6, 2021

Durability of anion exchange membrane water electrolyzers

Abstract

Interest in the low-cost production of clean hydrogen is growing. Anion exchange membrane water electrolyzers (AEMWEs) are considered one of the most promising sustainable hydrogen production technologies because of their ability to split water using platinum group metal-free catalysts, less expensive anode flow fields, and bipolar plates. Critical to the realization of AEMWEs is understanding the durability-limiting factors that restrict the long-term use of these devices. This article presents both durability-limiting factors and mitigation strategies for AEMWEs under three operation modes, i.e., pure water-fed (no liquid electrolyte), concentrated KOH-fed, and 1 wt% K2CO3-fed operating at a differential pressure of 100 psi. We examine extended-term behaviors of AEMWEs at the single-cell level and connect their behavior with the electrochemical, chemical, and mechanical instability of single-cell components. Finally, we discuss the pros and cons of AEMWEs under these operation modes and provide direction for long-lasting AEMWEs with highly efficient hydrogen production capabilities.

Graphical abstract: Durability of anion exchange membrane water electrolyzers

Article information

Article type
Perspective
Submitted
31 dec 2020
Accepted
27 apr 2021
First published
27 apr 2021
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Energy Environ. Sci., 2021,14, 3393-3419

Durability of anion exchange membrane water electrolyzers

D. Li, A. R. Motz, C. Bae, C. Fujimoto, G. Yang, F. Zhang, K. E. Ayers and Y. S. Kim, Energy Environ. Sci., 2021, 14, 3393 DOI: 10.1039/D0EE04086J

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications, without requesting further permission from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given and it is not used for commercial purposes.

To request permission to reproduce material from this article in a commercial publication, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party commercial publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements