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.
Gaia Membranes
Gaia Membranes is a PSI Spin-off. Efficient energy storage is at the centre of this vision. Amphion™ is an innovative membrane technology designed to maximise the efficiency of redox flow battery systems. Amphion™ membranes overcome the limitations of traditional cation and anion exchange membranes through an amphoteric technology that simultaneously enables high proton conductivity and superior ionic selectivity.
Contact:
- Elian Pusceddu, CEO
- Fabio Oldenburg, CTO
Expertise
Research Team
- Lorenz Gubler, Head
- Alexander Muroyama, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
- Tamás Németh, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
- Elena Zanzola, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
- Aaron Schneider, Lab Technician
- Steffen Garbe, PhD Student
- Tym De Wild, PhD Student
- Jamie Duburg, PhD Student
- Zheyu Zhang, PhD Student
- Matteo Lecchi, Master Thesis Student (Politecnico di Milano)
Open Positions
none
Projects
Project | Description | Duration | Contact |
---|---|---|---|
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 |
2018-2021 | Lorenz Gubler |
ELYTEMP | Elevated temperature (90-95°C) polymer electrolyte water electrolysis for reduced cost of hydrogen for energy applications Swiss Federal Office of Energy |
2018-2021 | Lorenz Gubler |
Bridge RFB | Functionalized separators enabling a break-through of redox flow batteries for stationary energy storage SNF Bridge |
2018-2020 | Lorenz Gubler |
Recent Publications
A complete publication list can be found on Scopus.
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Babic U, Tarik M, Schmidt TJ, Gubler L
Understanding the effects of material properties and operating conditions on component aging in polymer electrolyte water electrolyzers
Journal of Power Sources. 2020; 451: 227778 (8 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2020.227778
DORA PSI -
Ben youcef H, Henkensmeier D, Balog S, Scherer GG, Gubler L
Copolymer synergistic coupling for chemical stability and improved gas barrier properties of a polymer electrolyte membrane for fuel cell applications
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 2020; 45(11): 7059-7068. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2019.12.208
DORA PSI -
Gubler L, Vonlanthen D, Schneider A, Oldenburg FJ
Composite membranes containing a porous separator and a polybenzimidazole thin film for vanadium redox flow batteries
Journal of The Electrochemical Society. 2020; 167(10): 100502 (17 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1149/1945-7111/ab945f
DORA PSI -
Muroyama AP, Pătru A, Gubler L
Review - CO2 separation and transport via electrochemical methods
Journal of the Electrochemical Society. 2020; 167(13): 133504 (12 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1149/1945-7111/abbbb9
DORA PSI -
Nolte TM, Nauser T, Gubler L
Attack of hydroxyl radicals to α-methyl-styrene sulfonate polymers and cerium-mediated repair via radical cations
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. 2020; 22(8): 4516-4525. https://doi.org/10.1039/C9CP05454E
DORA PSI -
Nolte TM, Nauser T, Gubler L, Hendriks AJ, Peijnenburg WJGM
Thermochemical unification of molecular descriptors to predict radical hydrogen abstraction with low computational cost
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. 2020; 22(40): 23215-23225. https://doi.org/10.1039/D0CP03750H
DORA PSI -
Zlobinski M, Babic U, Fikry M, Gubler L, Schmidt TJ, Boillat P
Dynamic neutron imaging and modeling of cationic impurities in polymer electrolyte water electrolyzer
Journal of the Electrochemical Society. 2020; 167(14): 144509 (10 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1149/1945-7111/abc83b
DORA PSI -
Babic U, Zlobinski M, Schmidt TJ, Boillat P, Gubler L
CO2-assisted regeneration of a polymer electrolyte water electrolyzer contaminated with metal ion impurities
Journal of the Electrochemical Society. 2019; 166(10): F610-F619. https://doi.org/10.1149/2.0851910jes
DORA PSI -
Babic U, Nilsson E, Pătru A, Schmidt TJ, Gubler L
Proton transport in catalyst layers of a polymer electrolyte water electrolyzer: effect of the anode catalyst loading
Journal of the Electrochemical Society. 2019; 166(4): F214-F220. https://doi.org/10.1149/2.0341904jes
DORA PSI -
Erbach S, Pribyl B, Klages M, Spitthoff L, Borah K, Epple S, et al.
Influence of operating conditions on permeation of CO2 through the membrane in an automotive PEMFC system
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 2019; 44(25): 12760-12771. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2018.10.033
DORA PSI -
Garbe S, Babic U, Nilsson E, Schmidt TJ, Gubler L
Communication—Pt-doped thin membranes for gas crossover suppression in polymer electrolyte water electrolysis
Journal of the Electrochemical Society. 2019; 166(13): F873-F875. https://doi.org/10.1149/2.0111913jes
DORA PSI -
Gubler L
Membranes and separators for redox flow batteries
Current Opinion in Electrochemistry. 2019; 18: 31-36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coelec.2019.08.007
DORA PSI -
Oldenburg FJ, Ouarga A, Schmidt TJ, Gubler L
Accelerated stress test method for the assessment of membrane lifetime in vanadium redox flow batteries
ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. 2019; 11(51): 47917-47928. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.9b15736
DORA PSI -
Oldenburg FJ, Nilsson E, Schmidt TJ, Gubler L
Tackling capacity fading in vanadium redox flow batteries with amphoteric polybenzimidazole/nafion bilayer membranes
ChemSusChem. 2019; 12(12): 2620-2627. https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.201900546
DORA PSI