The Ammonia Adsorption and Desorption Behavior of Nafion

Membranes, vol. 15, pp. 149

Abstract

The electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (eNRR) for electrochemical ammonia (NH3) synthesis is considered a promising alternative to the energy-intensive and highly CO2-emitting Haber-Bosch process. In numerous experiments, the Nafion membrane has been used as an electrolyte or separator. However, Nafion adsorbs and desorbs NH3, leading to erroneous measurements and making reproducibility extremely difficult. This study systematically investigates the interaction between NH3 and Nafion, underscoring the strength of the interaction between ammonium-ions (NH4+) and protons (H+). We found that minute quantities of synthesized NH3 are prone to persist within the membrane, albeit without affecting the ion conductivity and resistivity of Nafion. Consequently, the removal of NH3 from the membrane can occur under conditions where synthesis is not viable. The objective of this work is to heighten awareness regarding the interaction between NH3 and Nafion and contribute to the attainment of reliable and reproducible outcomes in eNRRs.

Authors 6

1. Dominik Sachse corresponding Aachen Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology

   RWTH Aachen University · Forschungszentrum Jülich · Jülich Aachen Research Alliance

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Energy Technologies (IET-4)—Electrochemical Process Engineering, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52428 Jülich, Germany

   Jülich Aachen Research Alliance (JARA-Energy), Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, RWTH Aachen University, Schinkelstr. 2, 52062 Aachen, Germany

2. Andreas Glüsen

   Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Energy Technologies (IET-4)—Electrochemical Process Engineering, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52428 Jülich, Germany

3. Klaus Wippermann

   Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Energy Technologies (IET-4)—Electrochemical Process Engineering, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52428 Jülich, Germany

4. Martin Johannes Müller

   Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Energy Technologies (IET-4)—Electrochemical Process Engineering, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52428 Jülich, Germany

5. Uwe Rau Aachen Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology

   RWTH Aachen University · Forschungszentrum Jülich · Jülich Aachen Research Alliance

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Energy Materials and Devices (IMD-3)—Photovoltaics, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52428 Jülich, Germany

   Jülich Aachen Research Alliance (JARA-Energy), Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, RWTH Aachen University, Schinkelstr. 2, 52062 Aachen, Germany

6. Ralf Peters

   Forschungszentrum Jülich · Ruhr University Bochum

   Affiliation as printed

   Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Synthetic Fuels, Universitätsstr. 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany

   Institute of Energy Technologies (IET-4)—Electrochemical Process Engineering, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52428 Jülich, Germany