Ellectrically assisted cast anion exchange membranes for alkaline water electrolysis

Alkaline membrane water electrolysis using anion exchange membranes (AEMs) is a promising method for green hydrogen production due to the requirements of cheaper non-noble metal-based catalyst for operation. In this work, we produce highly conductive AEMs with improved mechanical properties via inducing aligned ion channels in the polymer structure, by applying various electric fields during membrane casting. We fundamentally study the effect of electric field on the membrane performance via relating membrane properties, such as OH- conductivity, to the morphological changes in the membrane upon application of the electric field. To evaluate the microstructural changes in the membrane, we aim to use small-angle and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS and WAXS), which can reveal essential information about (1) formation of microstructures within the amorphous polymer backbone, (2) conformational changes within polymer structure, and (3) possible micro-phase separation.