CAREER: Establishing Structure-property Relationships in Anion Exchange Membranes to Empower Water Electrolysis

Hydrogen is used as transportation fuel, to produce ammonia for fertilizers, and to upgrade oil for numerous products. This project seeks to lower the cost of producing hydrogen by improving water electrolysis technology. Electrolyzers use ion-conducting membranes as separators. The project will identify relationships between membrane polymer structure of the membrane and its performance in an electrolyzer. These relationships are not well understood. The goal is to design efficient ion-conducting membranes that remain stable over time. The results of the project will help guide membrane design. The project will provide hands-on learning activities that connect to the research. It will create a training environment that prepares students for careers in polymer science and electrochemical engineering. Training activities will emphasize laboratory work, mentorship, teamwork, and clear scientific communication. The research will support manufacturing and the domestic energy industry. The goal of this research is to establish structure-property relationships in anionic ion-conducting membranes. This will be achieved through modular polymer synthesis and high-throughput characterizations. The research will develop design rules that link polymer chemistries and polymer structures to polymer performance. Polymers will be prepared using controlled synthesis methods that allow careful changes in molecular structure. High-throughput measurements will be used to study chemical stability, water uptake, ion transport, and swelling. A key innovation of this project is the development of a new block copolymer platform. The platform has the potential to decouple and optimize conflicting properties within a single material family. The knowledge and methodologies gained will advance polymer science and support the development of electrochemical energy technologies. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.