Durable, pure water–fed, anion-exchange membrane electrolyzers through interphase engineering

Journal Article · Thu Oct 16 00:00:00 EDT 2025 · Science

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adw7100· OSTI ID:3000201

Hou, Shujin; Sekar, Archana; Zhao, Yang; Kwak, Minkyoung; Oh, Juhyun; Li, Kelvin Kam-Yun; Wu, Peiyao; Hannagan, Ryan T; Cartagena, Valeria; Ekennia, Anthony C; Duan, Hui; Zachman, Michael J; Frechette, Joelle; Su, Gregory M; Lakshmanan, Balsu; Yan, Yushan; Jaramillo, Thomas F; Boettcher, Shannon W

Anion-exchange membrane water electrolyzers (AEMWEs) promise scalable, low-cost hydrogen production but are limited by the electrochemical instability of their anode ionomers. We report interphase engineering using inorganic-containing molecular additives that coassemble with ionomer, enabling pure water-fed AEMWEs to operate with a degradation rate <0.5 millivolt per hour at 2.0 amperes per square centimeter and 70°C-a >20-fold durability improvement. Analysis of different additives and ionomers shows that the stabilization mechanism involves cross-links between metal oxo/hydroxo oligomers and ionomers. Under operation, the inorganic additive enriches, forming an interphase near the water-oxidation catalyst that passivates the anode ionomer against continuous degradation while maintaining mechanical integrity and hydroxide conductivity. This additive-based interphase-engineering strategy provides a path to durable AEMWEs that operate without supporting electrolytes and is adaptable across diverse catalysts and ionomers for electrochemical technologies.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy; USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-BES)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC02-05CH11231
• OSTI ID: 3000201
• Journal Information: Science, Journal Name: Science Journal Issue: 6770 Vol. 390
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English