Temperature and Alkali Stable Polymer Electrolytes for Hydrogen and Carbon Dioxide Alkaline Electrolysers

该项目旨在利用改进的材料和组件开发具有更低生命周期成本(通过提高效率实现)的创新型聚合物电解质电解槽。这一建议基于采用碱性阴离子交换膜(AEM)和离子交换膜(AEI)技术，为低成本电解槽系统开辟了机会：i)低成本聚合物电解质、催化剂(可持续使用，即非铂)和双极板材料；ii)更高的能效；iii)持久的长寿命运行；以及iv)灵活地响应动态负载运行。我们的目标是低过电位(高价值)有机化学合成的电解槽，包括从水电解产生氢气并涉及二氧化碳还原的电解槽。一个主要目标是生产下一代AEM和AEI，可以批量供应给(当前和未来的)项目合作伙伴(包括溶解形式的AEI)。氢气是可再生和可持续能源系统的良好存储介质。氢作为一种能源载体具有几个优点，包括高效的氢与电之间的可逆转换，与大多数电池相比，压缩气体具有良好的重量能量密度，以及氢技术在电网规模应用中的可扩展性。电解水是在使用时生产纯氢的安全选择，因为它不需要大量的存储要求。目前，电解法制氢的成本高于水蒸气重整等其他方法。造成这种情况的两个主要原因是电池的资本成本和电能消耗。商业化的水电解制氢技术基于两种技术之一：碱性(氢氧化钾)水溶液电解液和质子交换膜电解液。碱性电池使用比酸性聚合物系统成本更低的电极材料，但电流密度(和效率)通常更低。质子交换膜电解槽的资本成本较高(主要是由于膜[全氟聚合物]和贵金属[铂、Ir、Ru]催化剂的材料成本较高)，但由于电流密度较高，其生产率(单位电极面积)较高。因此，我们寻求通过结合使用低成本材料的碱性电解液和聚合物电解液的优点来改变后一种技术，以提高能源效率。实际上，通过电解可以达到最小的能源消耗(基于电池中的热力学电位和电压损失)，因此我们将目标设定在1.75V、1A cm-2(基于几何电极面积)。为了最大限度地提高正在开发的材料的潜在影响，还将研究二氧化碳减排电解器(涉及二氧化碳利用领域)。从可持续性、环境和社会的角度来看，将二氧化碳还原为有用的化学品具有巨大的潜在价值。这种合成需要大量的能源使用，因此在这种应用中使用可再生电能可以在它们的发展中发挥重要作用。因此，我们寻求开发基于阴离子交换膜电解槽材料和结构(包括碳酸盐阴离子导电电解质--与氢氧化物导电类似物相比，碳酸盐阴离子导电电解质本身具有更高的化学稳定性)来合成小分子(甲酸盐、合成气和/或甲醇)的电化学技术。该项目旨在实现超低碳、绿色氢气生产和二氧化碳减排系统的阶段性变化。这将基于申请者申请以前的碱性聚合物电解质材料和非贵金属催化剂的技术突破，用于电流和电解电化学能量转换和储存技术。

The project aims to develop innovative polymer electrolyte based electrolysers with lower life cycle costs (achieved by enhanced efficiency) utilising enhanced materials and components. This proposal is based on adopting alkaline anion-exchange membrane (AEM) and ionomer (AEI) technology to open up the opportunity for low cost electrolysers systems with: i) low cost polymer electrolytes, catalysts (sustainable i.e. non-Pt), and bipolar plate materials; ii) higher energy efficiency; iii) durable long life operation; and iv) flexibility to respond to dynamic load operation. We target electrolysers involving hydrogen production from water electrolysis and involving carbon dioxide reduction for low overpotential (high value) organic chemical synthesis. A major aim is to produce the next generation of AAEMs and AEIs that can be supplied to (current and future) project partners in bulk quantities (including AEIs in a solubilised form).Hydrogen is an excellent storage medium for renewable and sustainable energy systems. Hydrogen has several advantages as an energy carrier including highly efficient reversible conversion between hydrogen and electricity, good gravimetric energy density of compressed gas compared to most batteries and scalability of hydrogen technologies for grid scale applications. Water electrolysis is a safe option for production of pure hydrogen at point of use as it does not require substantial storage requirements. Currently, the cost of hydrogen produced by electrolysis is greater than that of other methods such as steam reforming. Two major reasons for this is the capital cost of the cells and the electrical energy consumption. Commercial hydrogen production by water electrolysis is based on one of two technologies: aqueous alkaline (potassium hydroxide) electrolytes and proton exchange membrane electrolytes. Alkaline cells use lower cost electrode materials than acid polymer systems but current densities (and efficiency) are typically lower. The capital cost of proton exchange membrane electrolysers is higher (largely dictated by the high material costs of membranes [perfluorinated polymers] and precious metal [Pt, Ir, Ru] based catalysts) but their production rates (per unit electrode area) are higher based on the higher current densities. We thus seek to transform the latter technology by combing the advantages of alkaline and polymer electrolytes using low cost materials with the aim of improving energy efficiencies. Realistically there is a minimum energy consumption that can be achieved by electrolysis (based on thermodynamic potentials and voltage losses in the cell) and thus we set our target at a voltage of 1.75 V at 1 A cm-2 (based on geometric electrode area).To maximise the potential impact of the materials being developed, carbon dioxide reducing electrolysers will also be studied (involving the field of carbon dioxide utilisation). The reduction of carbon dioxide into useful chemicals is of great potential value from a sustainability, environmental and societal context. Such syntheses require a significant energy use and thus using renewable electrical energy in such applications could play a major part in their development. Consequently we seek to develop electrochemical technology whereby we synthesis small molecules (formate, synthesis gas, and/or methanol) based on anion exchange membrane electrolyser materials and architectures (including the involvement of carbonate anion conducting electrolytes - which inherently yield higher chemical stabilities compared to hydroxide conducting analogues). The project aims to deliver a step change in uptake of ultra-low carbon, green-hydrogen production and carbon dioxide reduction systems. This will be based upon the application of the applicants previous technology breakthroughs of alkaline polymer electrolyte materials and non-precious metal catalyst for galvanic and electrolytic electrochemical energy conversion and storage technologies.