AEM Water Electrolysis – from Catalyst to 380 cm² Stack
ECS Meeting Abstracts, vol. MA2026-01, pp. 1814
Abstract
Anion exchange membrane water electrolyzers (AEM WEs) are built on the high-performance design principles of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) technology while enabling the use of metals commonly employed in alkaline water electrolysis. This combination significantly reduces the reliance on critical raw materials and represents a promising pathway towards next-generation, cost-effective water-splitting systems. Here, we share insights gained from over a decade of research and development, spanning catalyst synthesis, component engineering, stack fabrication, and system operation. Through an integrated, across-the-scale approach, we demonstrate how novel functional materials and components can be translated from fundamental research to full AEM WE stack implementation. This includes the development and optimization of platinum-group-metals-free anode catalysts, 1 encompassing synthesis routes, diverse characterization, 2 processing strategies, and production scale-up. 3 We describe their incorporation into manufacturing workflows for electrodes at both laboratory and pilot scales considering modeling and techno-economic perspectives. To complement the catalytic layer, we introduce customized powder-based porous transport layers (PTLs) featuring tailored gradient architectures, 4 as well as scalable bipolar plates designed to support reliable performance assessment in single-cell and multi-cell configurations. These components enable systematic evaluation of transport phenomena, degradation mechanisms, and operational stability under realistic conditions. With manufacturability in mind, we present the design and performance of a 380 cm² AEM stack that achieves a promising benchmark of 2 A/cm² at 2 V under pressurized operation. This result demonstrates not only the technical viability of advanced AEM WE concept but also their potential competitiveness with established electrolysis technologies. This work underscores the technological relevance of AEM WEs and outlines the critical gaps that must be addressed to transition from promising prototypes to commercially deployable systems. Addressing these issues, our research and development will be essential for the successful deployment at technical scale and a widespread adoption of AEM WE technology in the coming decade. W. Jiang, A. Y. Faid, B. F. Gomes, I. Galkina, L. Xia, C. M. S. Lobo, M. Desmau, P. Borowski, H. Hartmann, A. Maljusch, A. Besmehn, C. Roth, S. Sunde, W. Lehnert and M. Shviro, Advanced Functional Materials , 2022, 32 , 2203520. I. Galkina, A. Y. Faid, W. Jiang, F. Scheepers, P. Borowski, S. Sunde, M. Shviro, W. Lehnert and A. K. Mechler, Small , 2024, 20 , 2311047. B. Emonts, M. Müller, M. Hehemann, H. Janßen, R. Keller, M. Stähler, A. Stähler, V. Hagenmeyer, R. Dittmeyer, P. Pfeifer, S. Waczowicz, M. Rubin, N. Munzke and S. Kasselmann, Energies , 2022, 15 , 3656. F. J. Hackemüller, E. Borgardt, O. Panchenko, M. Müller and M. Bram, Advanced Engineering Materials , 2019, 21 , 1801201. Figure 1
Authors 10
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Affiliation as printed
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IET-4
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Affiliation as printed
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IET-4
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Affiliation as printed
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IET-4
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Affiliation as printed
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IET-4
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Affiliation as printed
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IET-4
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Affiliation as printed
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IET-4
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Affiliation as printed
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IET-4
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Affiliation as printed
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IMD-2
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Forschungszentrum Jülich · RWTH Aachen University
Affiliation as printed
Electrochemical Reaction Engineering, RWTH Aachen University
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IET-4
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Affiliation as printed
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IET-4
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