(140a) Development of Ion-Conducting Polymers for Hydrogen Electrochemical Energy Conversion Technologies

Ion-conducting polymers (often called ionomers) are used as polymer electrolyte membranes as well as catalyst binders in membrane electrode assemblies, are a key component of electrochemical energy conversion and storage technologies such as fuel cells, electrolyzers, and flow batteries. The use of ion-conducting polymers in these clean energy technologies has a long history and there has been considerable progress in developing low-cost, high-performance ion-conducting polymers in recent years. In this presentation, we discuss some highlights from recent progress at the Bae group of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the development of advanced ion-conducting (cationic and anionic) polymers, their state-of-the-art performance in electrochemical energy conversion devices (hydrogen fuel cells, electrolyzer, redox flow battery) and technology transfer activity to commercialize materials for real-world applications.