New Concept of Electronically and Protonic Conductive Polymer Structures for the Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis Produced by 3D-Printing

The polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) water electrolysis is a promising technology for the production of hydrogen from water using fluctuating renewable electricity sources. However, to achieve widespread application, the investment cost has to be lowered considerably.
For optimal two-phase mass transport of gases and water, and to simultaneously ensure electron transfer, a porous transport layer (PTL) is used in PEM systems. Due to the highly oxidative conditions in the oxygen-evolving electrode, PTLs consists of porous titanium, sometimes coated with noble metals to increase corrosion stability. Polymer compounds offer a great potential in terms of cost-efficiency, material properties, which can be easily tailor-made by e.g. polymer additives, and in terms of individual shaping options during the component production in particular by additive manufacturing. However, the conditions in the electrolysis cells are challenging for polymeric materials, in particular for materials used in the oxygen-evolving electrode. Here, we present first steps to a new concept of electronically and protonic conductive polymer structures for the PEM water electrolysis produced by 3D-printing.