Neutralization Short-Circuiting with Weak Electrolytes Erodes the Efficiency of Bipolar Membranes

Dinh, Hieu Q.; Toh, Wei Lun; Chu, An T.; Surendranath, Yogesh

doi:10.1021/acsami.2c18685

Neutralization Short-Circuiting with Weak Electrolytes Erodes the Efficiency of Bipolar Membranes

Journal Article · Thu Jan 12 00:00:00 EST 2023 · ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.2c18685· OSTI ID:1908675

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Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States); Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)

Bipolar membranes (BPMs) are critical components of a variety of electrochemical energy technologies. Many electrochemical applications require the use of buffers to maintain stable, nonextreme pH environments, yet the impact of buffers or weak acids/bases on the electrochemical behavior of BPMs remains poorly understood. Here, our data for a cell containing weak electrolytes is consistent with internal pH gradients within the anion exchange membrane (AEM) or cation exchange membrane (CEM) component of the BPM that form via ionic short-circuiting processes at open-circuit. Short-circuiting results from the coupling of co-ion crossover and parasitic neutralization and leads to buffering of the bipolar interface. This phenomenon, which we term neutralization short-circuiting, serves to erode BPM efficiency by attenuating the open-circuit membrane voltage and introducing parasitic reverse bias currents associated with weak acid/base dissociation at the interface. These findings establish a mechanistic basis for the operation of BPM cells in the presence of weak acid/base electrolytes.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0021634

OSTI ID:: 1908675

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1922035

Journal Information:: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, Journal Name: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 15; ISSN 1944-8244

Publisher:: American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
acid and base chemistry
bipolar membranes
buffers
co-ion crossover
dissociation
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ionic short-circuiting
membranes
neutralization short-circuiting
pH
parasitic neutralization
reverse bias polarization
weak acids/bases
weak electrolytes

Neutralization Short-Circuiting with Weak Electrolytes Erodes the Efficiency of Bipolar Membranes

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