(196f) Polymer Hydroxide Exchange Membranes: From Fuel Cells to Electrolyzers

One of the grand challenges facing humanity today is the development of an alternative energy system that is safe, clean, and sustainable. A distributed renewable electrochemical energy and mobility system (DREEMS) that is enabled by affordable wind and solar energy can meet this challenge. At the foundation of this new energy system, we have chosen to study fuel cells for zero-emission vehicles and electrolyzers for green hydrogen generation. For these devices, polymer electrolytes play a critical role in controlling their cost, performance, and durability, and consequently their economic viability. In this presentation, I will focus on our recent work on hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells (HEMFCs). More specifically I will show the roadmap we have developed for this technology, the progress we have made in developing the most stable membranes. I will also report our latest results on hydroxide exchange membrane electrolyzers (HEMELs) with pure water feed.