Fully Hydrocarbon Membrane Electrode Assemblies for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers: An Engineering Perspective
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Abstract Perfluorinated‐sulfonic‐acid‐based ionomers (PFSAs) are still the material of choice for electrochemical energy devices such as proton‐exchange membrane fuel cells or water electrolyzers. However, PFSAs show significant drawbacks ranging from a restricted temperature window of operation due to the insufficient thermomechanical stability, high cost, and questionable environmental properties. Recently, novel hydrocarbon‐based ionomers have been introduced, which not only have the potential to overcome these limitations, but also for the first time show promising performance, approaching that of PFSA‐based fuel cells and electrolyzers. This article summarizes the recent developments in this emerging field with a particular focus on the engineering of membrane‐electrode assemblies with hydrocarbon‐based polymer electrolytes. In the final part, the necessary key innovations are discussed, which are required for hydrocarbon ionomers to replace PFSAs in fuel cells and electrolyzers in the future.
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The proton exchange membrane in MEA provides channels for proton migration and transmission, separates gas reactants, and isolates electron transfer.
“The proton exchange membrane in MEA provides channels for proton migration and transmission, separates gas reactants, and isolates electron transfer [67,68].”
From Recent Advances on PEM Fuel Cells: From Key Materials to Membrane Electrode Assembly (2023) · cites this paper as [68]
The catalyst layer and the membrane present different requirements in PEM fuel cells: both require low swelling and chemical and mechanical durability, but ionomers need high gas permeability while membranes need low gas permeability.
“Although both require low swelling and chemical and mechanical durability [68], the major distinction between ionomers and membranes is that ionomers need high gas permeability, while membranes need low gas permeability.”
From Recent Advances on PEM Fuel Cells: From Key Materials to Membrane Electrode Assembly (2023) · cites this paper as [68]
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Recent Advances on PEM Fuel Cells: From Key Materials to Membrane Electrode Assembly
Mo, S., Du, L., Huang, Z., Chen, J., Zhou, Y., Wu, P., Meng, L., Wang, N., Xing, L., Zhao, M., et al. (2023) · Electrochemical Energy Reviews · doi:10.1007/s41918-023-00190-w · Cited by 277 · see citing works
“The proton exchange membrane in MEA provides channels for proton migration and transmission, separates gas reactants, and isolates electron transfer [67, 68].”
- Authors
- Nguyen, H., Klose, C., Metzler, L., Vierrath, S., & Breitwieser, M.
- Affiliations
- University of Freiburg (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Klose, Carolin
- Breitwieser, Matthias
- Venue
- Advanced Energy Materials
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2022-02-09
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 12
- ISSN
- 1614-6832 (ISSN-L)
- 1614-6840
- OpenAlex
- W4210856178
- Cited by
- 133
- References
- 6
- Citations by year
- 2026: 27 · 2025: 46 · 2024: 29 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 12
- FWCI
- 7.26
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Advanced Energy Materials (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (03SF0579B)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Electrical and Electronic Engineering › Fuel Cells and Related Materials
- Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Materials Chemistry › Advancements in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
- Keywords
- proton exchange membrane fuel cells, water electrolyzer, membrane electrode assembly, perfluorinated sulfonic acid ionomers, polymer electrolytes, thermomechanical stability, temperature window
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