A Microblock Ionomer in Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolysis for the Production of High Purity Hydrogen

Smith, Daniel; Oladoyinbo, Fatai O.; Mortimore, William A.; Colquhoun, Howard M.; Thomassen, Magnus Skinlo; Ødegård, Anders; Guillet, Nicolas; Mayousse, Eric; Klicpera, Tomas; Hayes, Wayne

doi:10.1021/ma3026145

Cited by 29 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…In a PEMWE, operating at 50-80°C, the conductivity loss is also not critical, as the membrane remains fully hydrated (Smith et al 2013). However, due to the high current densities, the membrane resistance still contributes up to 50% of the PEMWE overvoltage.…”

Section: Introduction: Proton Exchange Membranes In Fuel Cells and Wamentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding methods of preparation and characterization of pore-filling polymer composites for proton exchange membranes: a beginner’s guide

Gloukhovski

Freger

Tsur

2017

Reviews in Chemical Engineering

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Abstract Composite membranes based on porous support membranes filled with a proton-conducting polymer appear to be a promising approach to develop novel proton exchange membranes (PEMs). It allows optimization of the properties of the filler and the matrix separately, e.g. for maximal conductivity of the former and maximal physical strength of the latter. In addition, the confinement itself can alter the properties of the filling ionomer, e.g. toward higher conductivity and selectivity due to alignment and restricted swelling. This article reviews the literature on PEMs prepared by filling of submicron and nanometric size pores with Nafion and other proton-conductive polymers. PEMs based on alternating perfluorinated and non-perfluorinated polymer systems and incorporation of fillers are briefly discussed too, as they share some structure/transport relationships with the pore-filling PEMs. We also review here the background knowledge on structural and transport properties of Nafion and proton-conducting polymers in general, as well as experimental methods concerned with preparation and characterization of pore-filling membranes. Such information will be useful for preparing next-generation composite membranes, which will allow maximal utilization of beneficial characteristics of polymeric proton conductors and understanding the complicated structure/transport relationships in the pore-filling composite PEMs.

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Section: Introduction: Proton Exchange Membranes In Fuel Cells and Wamentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding methods of preparation and characterization of pore-filling polymer composites for proton exchange membranes: a beginner’s guide

Gloukhovski

Freger

Tsur

2017

Reviews in Chemical Engineering

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“…Ionomers—polymers with covalently bound ionic moieties—have received attention from academics and industry for decades because of their applications including elastomers, dental composites, electrolytes, fuel cells, and golf balls . Most ionomers can be understood as self‐assembled composites in which chain‐grafted ionic groups, together with counterions, collapse into physical aggregates that serve as crosslinks .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Roles of chain stiffness and segmental rattling in ionomer glass formation

Ruan

Simmons

2015

J Polym Sci B Polym Phys

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Ionomers-polymers with bound ionic moietieshave received interest for their exceptional properties including high toughness and ion conductivity. One of the primary effects of introduction of covalently bound ions to a polymer is alteration of its glass transition and segmental dynamics. The standard model for these alterations attributes them to a covalent 'tethering' effect in which segments near ionic aggregates are immobilized within a range related to the chain persistence length. Here, results from molecular dynamics simulations of glass formation in model ionomers of varying chain stiffness indicate that chain persistence length does not play a central role in ionic-aggregate-induced suppression of local segmental dynamics. Instead, these alterations are found to accord with more universal interface-induced alterations in glass-forming liquids, consistent with a recent study in which the present authors found a correlation between near-aggregate mobility suppression and the scale of segmental cooperative rearrangements. In this case, results indicate that shifts in the overall segmental relaxation times of these polymers can be quantitatively rationalized in terms of alterations in the Debye-Waller factor, reflecting changes in the local picosecond-timescale segmental rattling.

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“…Recently, the polymer membrane electrolyzer has been highlighted as the next-generation candidate 14 . Particularly, the proton-exchange membrane (PEM) based one dominates, allowing operation at high current density (>1 A cm −2 ) while delivering pressurized high-purity H 2 ( > 99%) 15,16 . Nonetheless, only noble metal catalysts can survive in the corrosive environment of the cell 17 .…”

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confidence: 99%

A membrane-free flow electrolyzer operating at high current density using earth-abundant catalysts for water splitting

et al. 2021

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Electrochemical water splitting is one of the most sustainable approaches for generating hydrogen. Because of the inherent constraints associated with the architecture and materials, the conventional alkaline water electrolyzer and the emerging proton exchange membrane electrolyzer are suffering from low efficiency and high materials/operation costs, respectively. Herein, we design a membrane-free flow electrolyzer, featuring a sandwich-like architecture and a cyclic operation mode, for decoupled overall water splitting. Comprised of two physically-separated compartments with flowing H2-rich catholyte and O2-rich anolyte, the cell delivers H2 with a purity >99.1%. Its low internal ohmic resistance, highly active yet affordable bifunctional catalysts and efficient mass transport enable the water splitting at current density of 750 mA cm−2 biased at 2.1 V. The eletrolyzer works equally well both in deionized water and in regular tap water. This work demonstrates the opportunity of combining the advantages of different electrolyzer concepts for water splitting via cell architecture and materials design, opening pathways for sustainable hydrogen generation.

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A Microblock Ionomer in Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolysis for the Production of High Purity Hydrogen

Cited by 29 publications

References 27 publications

Understanding methods of preparation and characterization of pore-filling polymer composites for proton exchange membranes: a beginner’s guide

Understanding methods of preparation and characterization of pore-filling polymer composites for proton exchange membranes: a beginner’s guide

Roles of chain stiffness and segmental rattling in ionomer glass formation

A membrane-free flow electrolyzer operating at high current density using earth-abundant catalysts for water splitting

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