A Highly Conductive and Robust Anion Exchange Membrane for Water Electrolysis under Industrially Relevant Conditions

Anion exchange membrane (AEM) water electrolysis is a promising method for producing green hydrogen at a competitive cost. Commercialization of AEM water electrolyzers has been hindered, however, by the lack of commercially available AEMs with sufficient performance and lifetime under industrially relevant operating conditions. Here we report an AEM with a reinforcement layer that demonstrated continuous operating time >15,000 h at 1.0 A/cm2 and 60 °C with minimal H2 crossover under balanced pressure and an ion conductivity >0.06 S/cm in 1 M KOH electrolyte. Postmortem analysis showed that the membrane exhibited exceptional chemical, electrochemical, and mechanical stability, which were related to the structure of the membrane polymers. Large-scale roll-to-roll manufacturing of the membrane that can be transported and processed in dry form has been realized, facilitating large-scale deployment of AEM water electrolyzers for mass production of green hydrogen.