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Membranes and Electrochemical Cells

Our mission is to create innovation in the area of polymer electrolyte materials for electrochemical applications, notably fuel cells, electrolysis cells, and redox flow cells. We aim to prepare polymers with desired functionalities for the respective application and operating conditions, using commercially available and low-cost materials (base films, monomers and additives) and industrially viable processing techniques. Furthermore, we develop dedicated diagnostic methods to study limitations in cell performance and aging of materials and components.

Expertise

Our synthetic strategy is based on the preparation and functionalization of polymer films via radiation-induced grafting to obtain membranes containing ionic sites. Activation of the base polymer film can be done using an electron beam (performed externally). For surface grafting, the film is activated in a plasma chamber. Activated films are stored in a fridge at a temperature of -80°C. For the grafting reaction, a wide range of vinyl monomers amenable to radical polymerization can be used, such as styrenes and acrylics. Post-treatment of grafted films may involve various chemical processing steps, such as sulfonation to introduce proton exchange sites.

The laboratory has a wide range of characterization methods for ex situ characterization of starting materials, intermediates and membranes: infrared and Raman spectroscopy for composition analysis, SEM-EDX, XPS, DSC/TGA, tensile testing machine, etc. The conductivity of membranes is measured using ac impedance spectroscopy (in-plane or through-plane). In addition, we have a well-equiped fuel cell test infrastructure with test benches for single cells up to stacks for 30 kW power output. We aim to understand component and cell performance characteristics and limitations thereof, in particular aging phenomena of membranes and electrodes under application-relevant or accelerated test conditions.

Water electrolysis plays a key role in future energy scenarios (power-to-gas). We study materials aspects of polymer electrolyte water electrolyzers with a few to increasing performance and efficiency and investigate mechanican and chemical aging phenomena of key cell components. Two custom-built test benches for cells of 25 cm2 active area can be operated up to a pressure of 20 bar. We can measure impedance spectra and monitor the purity of gases (in particular H₂ contamination in O₂) continuously.

Research Team

Current group members:

Lorenz Gubler, Head
Alexander Muroyama, Ambizione Fellow
Tamás Németh, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Elizabeth Hampson, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Davide Masiello, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Tym De Wild, PhD Student
Jamie Duburg, PhD Student
Zheyu Zhang, PhD Student
Zongyi Han, Master Thesis Student (ETHZ)

Open Positions

(none)

Furthermore, we have regular openings for student's projects in different areas: fuel cells, electrolyzers, redox flow cells on topics ranging from materials synthesis and characterization to test system design and implementation.

Projects

Project	Description	Duration	Contact
Ambizione	A novel process for electrochemical direct-air capture of CO₂ Swiss National Science Formation, Ambizione grants	2021-2023	Alexander Muroyama
ELYMAT	New materials for electrolysis cells and next generation electrochemical water splitting devices (collaboration with the group Chemical Processes and Materials - CPM at PSI) Swiss Federal Office of Energy	2021-2024	Lorenz Gubler
Industry	Projects funded by industrial partners, subject to confidentiality		Lorenz Gubler
RFBsep	Functional composite separator-membrane materials for redox flow batteries Swiss National Science Foundation	2020-2023	Lorenz Gubler
NF-Antiox17	Radical attack, antioxidants and polymer repair chemistry in hydrocarbon based fuel cell membranes Swiss National Science Foundation	2018-2022	Lorenz Gubler
Bridge RFB	Functionalized separators enabling a break-through of redox flow batteries for stationary energy storage SNF Bridge	2018-2022	Lorenz Gubler

Recent Publications

A complete publication list can be found on Scopus.

Gubler L
Wire-free electrochemical CO₂ scrubbing
Nature Energy. 2022; 7: 216-217. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-022-00983-1
DORA PSI
Muroyama AP, Gubler L
Carbonate regeneration using a membrane electrochemical cell for efficient CO₂ capture
ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering. 2022; 10(49): 16113-16117. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.2c04175
DORA PSI
Nemeth T, Agrachev M, Jeschke G, Gubler L, Nauser T
EPR study on the oxidative degradation of phenyl sulfonates, constituents of aromatic hydrocarbon-based proton-exchange fuel cell membranes
Journal of Physical Chemistry C. 2022; 126(37): 15606-15616. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.2c04566
DORA PSI
Nemeth T, de Wild T, Gubler L, Nauser T
Impact of substitution on reactions and stability of one-electron oxidised phenyl sulfonates in aqueous solution
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. 2022; 24(2): 895-901. https://doi.org/10.1039/d1cp04518k
DORA PSI
Nemeth T, De Wild T, Gubler L, Nauser T
Moderation of oxidative damage on aromatic hydrocarbon-based polymers
Journal of the Electrochemical Society. 2022; 169(5): 054529 (8 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1149/1945-7111/ac6f85
DORA PSI
Nemeth T, Nauser T, Gubler L
On the radical-induced degradation of quaternary ammonium cations for anion-exchange membrane fuel cells and electrolyzers
ChemSusChem. 2022; 15(22): e202201571 (9 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.202201571
DORA PSI
Weber CC, Schuler T, De Bruycker R, Gubler L, Büchi FN, De Angelis S
On the role of porous transport layer thickness in polymer electrolyte water electrolysis
Journal of Power Sources Advances. 2022; 15: 100095 (6 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powera.2022.100095
DORA PSI
Zhang Z, Han Z, Testino A, Gubler L
Platinum and cerium-zirconium oxide co-doped membrane for mitigated H₂ crossover and ionomer degradation in PEWE
Journal of the Electrochemical Society. 2022; 169(10): 104501 (6 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1149/1945-7111/ac94a3
DORA PSI
de Wild T, Nemeth T, Nauser T, Schmidt TJ, Gubler L
Chemical stability enhancement of aromatic proton exchange membranes using a damage repair mechanism
In: Polymer electrolyte fuel cells & electrolyzers 22 (PEFC&E 22). Vol. 109. ECS transactions. sine loco: IOP Publishing; 2022:317-325. https://doi.org/10.1149/10909.0317ecst
DORA PSI
Duburg JC, Azizi K, Primdahl S, Hjuler HA, Zanzola E, Schmidt TJ, et al.
Composite polybenzimidazole membrane with high capacity retention for vanadium redox flow batteries
Molecules. 2021; 26(6): 1679 (15 pp.). https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26061679
DORA PSI
Garbe S, Samulesson E, Schmidt TJ, Gubler L
Comparison of Pt-doped membranes for gas crossover suppression in polymer electrolyte water electrolysis
Journal of the Electrochemical Society. 2021; 168(10): 104502 (8 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1149/1945-7111/ac2925
DORA PSI
Garbe S, Futter J, Schmidt TJ, Gubler L
Insight into elevated temperature and thin membrane application for high efficiency in polymer electrolyte water electrolysis
Electrochimica Acta. 2021; 377: 138046 (12 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2021.138046
DORA PSI
Garbe S, Futter J, Agarwal A, Tarik M, Mularczyk AA, Schmidt TJ, et al.
Understanding degradation effects of elevated temperature operating conditions in polymer electrolyte water electrolyzers
Journal of the Electrochemical Society. 2021; 168(4): 044515 (13 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1149/1945-7111/abf4ae
DORA PSI
Muroyama AP, Beard A, Pribyl-Kranewitter B, Gubler L
Separation of CO₂ from dilute gas streams using a membrane electrochemical cell
ACS ES&T Engineering. 2021; 1(5): 905-916. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.1c00048
DORA PSI
de Wild T, Nemeth T, Nolte TM, Schmidt TJ, Nauser T, Gubler L
Possible repair mechanism for hydrocarbon-based-ionomers following damage by radical attack
Journal of the Electrochemical Society. 2021; 168(5): 054514 (12 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1149/1945-7111/abf9be
DORA PSI

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