How Low Can You Go? Nanoscale Membranes for Efficient Water Electrolysis

Cohen, Lucas A.; Weimer, Matthew S.; Yim, Kyungmin; Jin, Jingjing; Fraga Alvarez, Daniela V.; Dameron, Arrelaine A.; Capuano, Christopher B.; Ouimet, Ryan J.; Fortiner, Serafina; Esposito, Daniel V.

doi:10.1021/acsenergylett.4c00170

Title: How Low Can You Go? Nanoscale Membranes for Efficient Water Electrolysis

Journal Article · 20 March 2024 · ACS Energy Letters

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenergylett.4c00170 · OSTI ID:3012601

^[1];

^[2]; Yim, Kyungmin ^[1]; Jin, Jingjing ^[1];

^[1]; Dameron, Arrelaine A. ^[2]; Capuano, Christopher B. ^[3]; Ouimet, Ryan J. ^[3]; Fortiner, Serafina ^[3];

^[1]

Columbia University, New York, NY (United States)
Forge Nano, Thornton, CO (United States)
Nel Hydrogen, Wallingford, CT (United States)

Motivated by the need to lower the cost of hydrogen (H₂) production by water electrolysis, significant research efforts are focused on making proton (H⁺) exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolyzers more efficient and capable of operating at higher current densities. These aims can be met by making H⁺-conducting membranes thinner, which has the effect of lowering ohmic drops across the membrane that represent the largest efficiency loss at high current densities (>2 A cm^–2). However, decreasing membrane thickness below 50 μm is not trivial due to trade-offs between membrane resistance, H₂ crossover (safety), membrane degradation, and manufacturing throughput. Furthermore, descriptions of key processes, limitations, and trade-offs that arise in thin membranes are provided that can be used to guide the design of ultrathin (i.e., submicron thick), low-resistance membrane materials that have the potential to transform the field of clean H₂ production.

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Research Organization:: Columbia University, New York, NY (United States); Forge Nano Inc., Thornton, CO (United States); Nel Hydrogen, Wallingford, CT (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: AR0001567

OSTI ID:: 3012601

Journal Information:: ACS Energy Letters, Journal Name: ACS Energy Letters Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 9; ISSN 2380-8195

Publisher:: American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Title: How Low Can You Go? Nanoscale Membranes for Efficient Water Electrolysis

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