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A0802
Ad anced Anion Exchange Memb ane Elec olyse wi h
360 cm² Ac i e Cell A ea
Shi a Kuma Sampangi*, Cha a h K ishna Ja ubula, Mohamed Elasma ,
La s Rön zsch
B andenbu g Uni e si y o Technology Co bus-Sen enbe g,
Hyd ogen Resea ch Cen e , Siemens-Halske-Ring 13, Co bus/Ge many;
*Con ac co esponding au ho s: www.EFCF.com/Con ac Reques
Abs ac
Anion Exchange Memb ane Wa e Elec olysis (AEMWE) has eme ged as a p omising
echnology o gene a ing g een hyd ogen, pa icula ly using in e mi en enewable ene gy
sou ces. AEMWE o e s a compelling oppo uni y o cos -e ec i e and sus ainable
hyd ogen p oduc ion by combining he ad an ages o adi ional alkaline wa e elec olysis,
such as he use o abundan and low-cos ca alys s, wi h he bene i s o P o on Exchange
Memb ane (PEM) elec olysis, which includes memb ane sepa a ion wi h pu e o low-
concen a ion alkaline wa e and ope a ion a high cu en densi ies. Howe e , he
widesp ead comme cializa ion o AEMWE emains in i s ea ly s ages, wi h small-scale ac i e
cell a eas (less han 300 cm²) and ongoing challenges ela ed o pe o mance and du abili y.
Consequen ly, i is i al o de elop high-pe o mance, du able AEMWE cells wi h la ge
ac i e a eas o acili a e he b oade adop ion o his echnology. This con ibu ion p esen s
ou ecen p og ess in AEMWE, ocusing on he de elopmen o cells wi h an ac i e a ea o
up o 360 cm². In pa icula , we a e ad ancing AEMWE echnology o Technology Readiness
Le el (TRL) 5/6, inco po a ing p ecious me al- ee ca alys s and ad anced memb anes o
enhance he lexibili y and e iciency o hyd ogen p oduc ion. As pa o his e o , we ha e
designed and expe imen ally es ed a 100 cm² AEMWE cell and concep ualized and
designed a 4-kW sho -s ack wi h a o al ac i e cell a ea o 1800 cm², as shown in Figu e. 1,
o high-p essu e ope a ion a 30 ba . Ou ongoing e o s includes he labo a o y es ing o
his newly designed s ack a high p essu e ope a ion and e alua ing i s elec ochemical
pe o mance and du abili y up o 1,000 h con inuous ope a ion using p ecious me al- ee
elec oca alys s.
Figu e 1. Newly designed AEM wa e elec olyse i e-cells s ack (5 x 360cm2) wi h an
inc eased single cell ac i e a ea o 360 cm2.
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In oduc ion
Anion Exchange Memb ane (AEM) wa e elec olysis is an eme ging and p omising
echnology o sus ainable p oduc ion o hyd ogen. I combines he ad an ages o bo h
adi ional alkaline wa e elec olysis and p o on exchange memb ane (PEM) elec olysis,
o e ing a cos -e ec i e and en i onmen ally iendly pa hway o gene a ing g een hyd ogen
om wa e using enewable ene gy [1, 2]. Typically, in wa e elec olysis, wa e is spli in o
hyd ogen and oxygen h ough elec ochemical eac ions, bu unlike PEM wa e elec olysis
sys ems ha use a p o on-conduc ing memb ane, AEM sys ems use a memb ane ha
conduc s hyd oxide ions (OH⁻) om he ca hode o he anode. This allows o he use o
non-p ecious me al ca alys s and less co osi e alkaline condi ions, hus, signi ican ly
educing ma e ials cos s. Howe e , he wide sp ead comme cializa ion o AEM Wa e
Elec olysis echnology emains in i s in ancy, wi h cu en sys ems ypically ea u ing small
ac i e cell a eas (below 300 cm²) and acing ongoing limi a ions in du abili y [3]. To enable
la ge-scale deploymen , i is c ucial o de elop AEMWE cells ha combine high e iciency,
long- e m s abili y, and expanded ac i e a eas.
1. Scien i ic App oach
To add ess he challenges associa ed wi h AEM wa e elec olysis, du ing he las decade,
ex ensi e esea ch e o s a e di ec ed o de elopmen o elec oca alys s, memb anes and
i s sys em op imiza ions o inc easing pe o mance and du abili y [4, 5]. Fo ins ance,
Zhiheng Li e al. [6] de eloped a nickel-i on elec oca alys called CAPis -L1 using a simple
seed-assis ed nuclea ion me hod. This ca alys showed excellen oxygen e olu ion eac ion
(OER) ac i i y wi h low o e po en ials o 220 ± 4.5 mV a 1,000 mA cm⁻² and 283 ± 12.7 mV
a 5,000 mA cm⁻². I also main ained s abili y o e 15,200 hou s a 1,000 mA cm⁻². In he
s udy, CAPis -L1 (3.5 mg cm⁻²) was pai ed wi h a Ni₄Mo/MoO₂@NF ca hode and a
e phenyl-based polyme memb ane (PAP-TP-85, ~45 μm hick) o es wa e elec olysis
pe o mance, which was benchma ked agains I O2 and NiFe-LDH ca alys s. Fu he , Xu e
al. [7] de eloped an anion exchange memb ane based on s y ene-b-e hylene-b-bu ylene-b-
s y ene copolyme (SEBS) wi h pipe idinium- unc ionalized lexible side chains, achie ing
imp o ed hyd oxide ion conduc i i y o 20.8 mS cm⁻¹ a oom empe a u e. Memb ane
elec ode assemblies using P /C and I -black ca alys s deli e ed cu en densi ies o 275
and 680 mA cm⁻² a 2 V and 60°C. Du abili y es ing o e 330 hou s showed a mode a e
deg ada ion a e, demons a ing he memb ane’s s able pe o mance. Howe e , mos o he
scien i ic li e a u es epo on elec oca alys and memb ane de elopmen s, whe eas a
limi ed numbe o epo s is a ailable on elec olyse s ack de elopmen s and AEMWE
sys em op imiza ions [8]. The e o e, he p esen s udy aims o de elop elec olyse cell wi h
an inc eased elec ode ac i e a e o 360 cm2 used in a i e-cell s ack o sys ema ically
e alua e and op imize elec ochemical pe o mance and du abili y up o 1,000 h con inuous
ope a ion.
2. Expe imen s
2.1 AEM wa e elec olyse cell, s ack design and cons uc ion.
The de elopmen o AEMWE cells and s acks is essen ial o enabling e icien and scalable
hyd ogen p oduc ion. The single cell assembly comp ised key componen s such as he
memb ane, ca alys -coa ed elec odes, low ield sepa a o pla es, and end pla es, all
designed o maximize ionic conduc i i y while minimizing ohmic and ac i a ion losses. The
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cell con igu a ion ensu ed e en dis ibu ion o elec oly e and e ec i e emo al o gene a ed
gases, he eby imp o ing o e all pe o mance. To op imize cell design o hyd ogen
gene a ion, a 100 cm² single cell was ini ially de eloped, assembled, and es ed unde
a ied ope a ing condi ions. This cell included nickel cu en collec o s, gas di usion laye s,
EPDM gaske s, and nickel low- ield pla es ea u ing s aigh pa allel channels. T anspa en
polyac ylic end pla es we e used o isually moni o gas e olu ion and bubble o ma ion
du ing ope a ion. Fo cell assembly, he MEA was placed be ween he low- ield pla es,
ollowed by gas di usion laye s and cu en collec o s, hen secu ed wi h nu s and bol s
igh ened o 2.5 N·m o que. Building on insigh s gained om hese expe imen s, a la ge
360 cm² single cell and a i e-cell s ack we e subsequen ly designed and cons uc ed, as
shown in Figu e 2. These uni s inco po a e no el low- ield con igu a ions o ensu e
homogeneous eac an dis ibu ion and e icien he mal managemen , pa icula ly du ing
high-p essu e ope a ion up o 30 ba . Ma e ials we e selec ed o hei chemical s abili y and
mechanical obus ness in alkaline en i onmen s. This sys ema ic de elopmen app oach
es ablishes a ounda ion o scalable, du able, and high-pe o mance AEM elec olysis
sys ems sui able o indus ial applica ions.
Figu e 2. Newly designed AEM wa e elec olyse single cell wi h inc eased elec ode
ac i e a ea o 360 cm2
2.2 Fab ica ion o Memb ane Elec ode Assembly
The memb ane elec ode assembly (MEA) was p epa ed using he ca alys -coa ed
memb ane (CCM) me hod [9]. Fi s , sepa a e ca alys inks o he anode (NiMoO₂) and
ca hode (30% Ni/C) we e o mula ed by mixing he ca alys powde s wi h 10% FAA-3
ionome solu ion, e hanol, and deionized wa e . The mix u es we e ul asonica ed o 60 min
a 35 kHz o ensu e p ope dispe sion. The ca hode ink was applied di ec ly on o he
Fumasep FAA-3-130 memb ane using a Sono-Teck sp ay coa e . Due o agglome a ion and
clogging issues encoun e ed wi h he sp ay coa e o he anode ca alys , he anode ink was
applied using a adi ional b ush coa ing me hod. Ca alys loadings we e con olled a 0.4
mg/cm² o he ca hode and 1 mg/cm² o he anode. Finally, he coa ed memb ane was ho -
p essed a 60°C unde 30 ba p essu e o 3 min o o m a inal MEA. I is u he assembled
in an AEM elec olyse cell and s udied i s pe o mance and measu ed he cu en - ol age
pola iza ion cu es.
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2.3 Elec olysis pe o mance e olu ion.
The elec ochemical pe o mance o he de eloped AEM elec olyse cell was sys ema ically
e alua ed using a cus om-designed elec olyse es s a ion, as shown in Figu e 3. This es
s a ion in eg a es ad anced elec ochemical ins umen a ion o ensu e accu a e and
ep oducible measu emen s o he cell’s beha io unde a ious ope a ing condi ions. The
co e equipmen includes a Gam y 3000 po en ios a combined wi h a 30 A boos e o ex end
he cu en ange, along wi h a DC powe supply capable o deli e ing up o 340 A, p o iding
he lexibili y o simula e a wide ange o load scena ios. Elec olysis expe imen s we e
conduc ed using a 1 M KOH solu ion, con inuously ci cula ed a a con olled low a e o 1
dm³/min h ough bo h he anode and ca hode compa men s. This con inuous low ensu es
e icien eac an supply and e ec i e emo al o gas p oduc s, which is c i ical o
main aining s able cell pe o mance. Tempe a u e con ol was achie ed using in eg a ed
hea exchange s, main aining he cell empe a u e wi hin he ange o 30°C o 60°C. This
allowed in es iga ion in o how ele a ed empe a u es in luence elec ochemical kine ics and
o e all cell e iciency. Fu he , cu en - ol age (I-V) cu es we e eco ded by a ying he
applied cu en h ough he po en ios a and boos e sys em, enabling de ailed
cha ac e iza ion o he cell’s ol age esponse a di e en cu en densi ies. These
measu emen s p o ided aluable insigh s in o ac i a ion losses, ohmic esis ance, and
mass anspo limi a ions, he eby helping o iden i y pe o mance bo lenecks and
oppo uni ies o op imiza ion.
Figu e 3. AEM wa e elec olyse es s a ion, which includes a 100 cm2 AEM single cell and
hei componen s.
3. Resul s
The pe o mance o he de eloped elec olyse was e alua ed using a cus om-designed
elec olyse es s a ion. The elec olysis expe imen s we e conduc ed using a 1M KOH
solu ion o e a empe a u e anges om 30°C o 70°C. Du ing he expe imen s, he cell’s
cu en - ol age cha ac e is ics we e eco ded ac oss a ying cu en densi ies o assess i s
elec ochemical pe o mance unde di e en he mal condi ions. The esul s indica e ha a
an ope a ing empe a u e o 70°C, he elec olyse achie ed a cu en densi y o 300 mA
cm⁻² a a cell ol age o 2.08 V, as shown in Figu e 4. Fu he mo e, i was obse ed ha
inc easing he empe a u e om 30°C o 70°C led o a no iceable educ ion in he cell ol age
equi ed o each he same cu en densi y. Speci ically, he ol age dec eased om 2.20 V
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a 30°C o 2.08 V a 70°C. This imp o emen in pe o mance can be a ibu ed o enhanced
elec ochemical eac ion kine ics a ele a ed empe a u es, which educe he o e all ene gy
loss wi hin he sys em [10].
Figu e 4. Cu en – ol age pola iza ion cu es o 100 cm² AEM elec olyse con ains
Fumasep®FAA-3-130 memb ane and non-p ecious me al ca alys s o NiMoO4 and 30%
Ni/C.
4. Summa y and Ou look
The p esen s udy ou lines he de elopmen o an AEMWE cell, ocusing on inno a i e cell
con igu a ions and memb ane elec ode assemblies (MEAs). This wo k ep esen s pa o
he p elimina y ou comes om he Ene gy Inno a ion Cen e (EIZ) a B andenbu g
Uni e si y o Technology (BTU), conduc ed wi hin he amewo k o a p ojec unded by he
Fede al Go e nmen h ough he S uc u al De elopmen Ac o coal-mining egions. As
pa o his ini ia i e, a 100 cm² AEM single cell was designed, ab ica ed, and es ed unde
a ious expe imen al condi ions o e alua e i s elec ochemical pe o mance. Cu en e o s
a e di ec ed owa d enhancing cell pe o mance h ough he op imiza ion o ope a ional
pa ame e s and he in eg a ion o ad anced memb ane ma e ials and p ecious-me al- ee
elec oca alys s. Building upon hese ini ial esul s, a la ge 360 cm² single cell and a i e-
cell s ack (4-kW) ha e been de eloped, ea u ing no el low- ield con igu a ions ailo ed o
high-p essu e ope a ion up o 30 ba . These de elopmen s a e a s ep owa d scaling he
echnology (TRL 5/6) o p ac ical, indus ial-scale hyd ogen p oduc ion using AEM
elec olysis. Fu u e e o s also will ocus on he di ec in eg a ion o he elec olyse sys em
wi h downs eam p ocesses o he syn hesis o g een uels such as me hane and me hanol,
con ibu ing o he ad ancemen o ully enewable ene gy- o- uel pa hways.
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Acknowledgemen s
The au ho s g a e ully acknowledge he suppo o he Fede al Minis y o Educa ion and
Resea ch (BMBF) and he S a e o B andenbu g (ILB) wi hin he amewo k o he join
p ojec "EIZ – Ene gy Inno a ion Cen e " (P ojec Numbe s: 85056897 and 03SF0693A),
unded h ough he S uc u al De elopmen Ac o Coal-Mining Regions.
Re e ences
1. Zhiqing Tang, Baoxin Wu, Kejun Yan, Jiahui Luo, Mahmood Ul Haq, Lin Zeng, Long-
e m s abili y o anion exchange memb ane wa e elec olysis: Recen de elopmen
and u u e pe spec i es. Fu u e Ba e ies 5 (2025)100024.
2. Jingyi Wang, Jinbin Yang, Yu Feng, Jing Hua, Zhengjian Chen, Mei Liao, Jing an
Zhang, Jiang Qin, Compa a i e expe imen al s udy o alkaline and p o on exchange
memb ane wa e elec olysis o g een hyd ogen p oduc ion, Applied Ene gy (379,
2025) 124936.
3. Ka l, A., Joda , E., Kungl, H., Dob enizki, L., Schmid, G., Geskes, P. and Eichel, R.-
A. (2025), Wa e Elec olysis Facing he Gigawa Challenge—Comp ehensi e De-
Risking o P o on Exchange Memb ane and Anion Exchange Memb ane Elec olyse
Technology. Elec ochemical Science Ad ances 5: e202400041.
4. Li, Z., Lin, G., Wang, L. e al. Seed-assis ed o ma ion o NiFe anode ca alys s o
anion exchange memb ane wa e elec olysis a indus ial-scale cu en densi y.
Na u e Ca alysis, 7 (2024) 944–952.
5. S. Shi a Kuma , Hankwon Lim, An o e iew o wa e elec olysis echnologies o
g een hyd ogen p oduc ion, Ene gy Repo s, 8 (2022) 13793-13813.
6. Z. Li e al., ‘Seed-assis ed o ma ion o NiFe anode ca alys s o anion exchange
memb ane wa e elec olysis a indus ial-scale cu en densi y’, Na u e Ca alysis, 7
(2024) 944–952.
7. Ziqi Xu, Vincen Wilke, Jagoda Jus yna Chmiela z, Mo awie z Tobias, Vladimi
A anaso , Aldo Saul Gago, Kaspa And eas F ied ich. No el pipe idinium-
unc ionalized c osslinked anion exchange memb ane wi h lexible space s o wa e
elec olysis. Jou nal o Memb ane Science, 670 (2023) 121302.
8. Klingenho , M., T zesniowski, H., Koch, S. e al. High-pe o mance anion-exchange
memb ane wa e elec olyse s using NiX (X = Fe,Co,Mn) ca alys -coa ed memb anes
wi h edox-ac i e Ni–O ligands. Na u e Ca alysis 7 (2024).1213–1222.
9. Ti he idge L, Sha ma SK, Soisson A, Ro h C, Ma shall AT, Recen ad ances in
unde s anding ca alys coa ed memb anes s ca alys coa ed subs a es o AEM
elec olyse s. Cu en Opinion in Elec ochemis y. 49 (2025) 101607.
10. T.B. Fe iday, P.H. Middle on, M.L. Kolhe, J. Van He le. Raising he empe a u e on
elec odes o anion exchange memb ane elec olysis - ac i i y and s abili y aspec s.
Chemical Enginee ing Jou nal Ad ances 16 (2023) 100525.
Keywo ds: EFCF2025, H2, LowTemp. Fuel Cells & Elec olyse s, Memb ane Elec ode
Assembly, AEM elec olyse , Hyd ogen P oduc ion.
Rema k: This wo k is licensed unde C ea i e Commons A ibu ion 4.0 In e na ional
