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 to produce green hydrogen with competitive cost. Commercialization of AEM water electrolyzers has been, however, hindered 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 hours at 1.0 A/cm 2 and 60 ℃ with minimal H2 crossover under balanced pressure and an ion conductivity > 0.06 S/cm in 1 M KOH electrolyte. Post-mortem 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 manufacture of the membrane that can be transported and processed in dry form has been realized, which will facilitate large-scale deployment of AEM water electrolyzers for mass production of green hydrogen.