Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis with short-side-chain Aquivion® membrane and IrO2 anode catalyst

• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2014.02.082
• Publication Date: 2014-03-15T17:00:51Z
• Authors: Anita Skulimowska; Marc Dupont; Marta Zaton; Svein Sunde; Luca Merlo; Deborah J. Jones; Jacques Rozière
• Keywords: [CHIM.POLY]Chemical Sciences/Polymers; [CHIM.MATE]Chemical Sciences/Material chemistry; 02 engineering and technology; 0210 nano-technology

Abstract A series of three membrane types has been screened for medium temperature solid polymer electrolyte water electrolysis in membrane electrode assemblies coated with 2 mg cm−2 of iridium oxide as a catalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction, synthesised via a hydrolysis method from the hexachloroiridic acid precursor, and deposited on the membrane either directly by spray deposition or by decal transfer. The short-side-chain perfluorosulfonic acid Aquivion® ionomer of equivalent weight 870 meq g−1, in membranes of thickness 120 μm, gives higher water electrolysis performance at 120 °C than a composite membrane of Aquivion® with zirconium phosphate, while a sulfonated ether-linked polybenzimidazole, sulfonated poly-[(1-(4,4′-diphenylether)-5-oxybenzimidazole)-benzimidazole], shows promising performance and no transport limitations up to 2 A cm−2. The lowest cell voltage was observed at 120 °C for an MEA prepared using spray-coating directly on the Aquivion® membrane, 1.57 V at 1 A cm−2.