Protocol for assembling and operating bipolar membrane water electrolyzers

Isabela Rios Amador; Ryan T Hannagan; Daniela H Marin; Joseph T Perryman; Charline Rémy; McKenzie A Hubert; Grace A Lindquist; Lihaokun Chen; Michaela Burke Stevens; Shannon W Boettcher; Adam C Nielander; Thomas F Jaramillo

doi:10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102606

Protocol for assembling and operating bipolar membrane water electrolyzers

STAR Protoc. 2023 Dec 15;4(4):102606. doi: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102606. Epub 2023 Nov 3.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA.
² Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA. Electronic address: dhm2121@stanford.edu.
³ SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA.
⁴ University of Oregon Department of Chemistry and Oregon Center for Electrochemistry, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
⁵ University of Oregon Department of Chemistry and Oregon Center for Electrochemistry, Eugene, OR 97403, USA. Electronic address: swb@uoregon.edu.
⁶ SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA. Electronic address: anieland@slac.stanford.edu.
⁷ Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA. Electronic address: jaramillo@stanford.edu.

Abstract

Renewable energy-driven bipolar membrane water electrolyzers (BPMWEs) are a promising technology for sustainable production of hydrogen from seawater and other impure water sources. Here, we present a protocol for assembling BPMWEs and operating them in a range of water feedstocks, including ultra-pure deionized water and seawater. We describe steps for membrane electrode assembly preparation, electrolyzer assembly, and electrochemical evaluation. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Marin et al. (2023).¹.

Keywords: Chemistry; Energy; Material Sciences.

MeSH terms

Membranes
Water*

Substances

Water