Understanding Ionomer Oxidation in Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzers and their Actual Effects on Cell Durability
발표자
이성수 (한국과학기술연구원)
연구책임자
이성수 (한국과학기술연구원)
초록
내용
Anion exchange membrane water electrolyzers (AEMWEs) are a critical technology for sustainable hydrogen production, but long-term durability remains a critical challenge. To address this drawback, we investigate various approaches to mitigate ionomer oxidation in AEMWEs, focusing on how differences in ionomer structure affect ionomer-catalyst interactions. Most hydrocarbon ionomers and membranes contain phenyl groups, which are readily absorbed on the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) oxygen evolution reaction (OER) surface, negatively affecting performance. Based on these findings, we observed that ionomers with lower adsorption energy exhibited better performance and durability. Post-operation analysis confirmed that these ionomers experienced less oxidation, which was conclusively shown in pure water feed operating conditions. This study provides valuable insights into the optimization of ionomer structure for enhancing AEMWEs performance and durability.