A Comparative Study of State-of-the-Art Commercial Membranes in an Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzer

Anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEM-WE) is an emerging and highly promising technology for the production of green hydrogen using renewable energy sources. This technology combines the strengths of proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEM-WE) and traditional alkaline water electrolysis (AEW), through the use of a solid ion-conducting membrane and cost-effective transition metal catalysts. However, research on AEM-WE generally has lagged behind that of PEM-WE, as AEMs have historically suffered poor stability in harsh alkaline conditions. Although several state-of-the-art AEMs are now commercially available, there remains a lack of benchmark materials analogous to industry standard PEM, Nafion TM . Furthermore, the absence of standardized testing conditions and protocols limits meaningful comparisons between studies and often metrics, such as hydrogen gas crossover, are unreported. To address these challenges, it is essential to establish harmonized evaluation methods and consistent diagnostic tools to determine the properties and key requirements of membranes that influence AEM-WE performance and durability. In this study, we have characterized commercially available AEMs using ex-situ and in-situ techniques to enable meaningful comparisons of membrane performance, durability and hydrogen crossover. Our findings provide valuable insights for both industry and academia, guiding the selection, design, and development of next-generation AEMs for green hydrogen production.