TY - JOUR
T1 - Bipolar Membrane and Interface Materials for Electrochemical Energy Systems
AU - Tufa, Ramato Ashu
AU - Blommaert, Marijn A.
AU - Chanda, Debabrata
AU - Li, Qingfeng
AU - Vermaas, David A.
AU - Aili, David
N1 - Accepted Author Manuscript
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Bipolar membranes (BPMs) are recently emerging as a promising material for application in advanced electrochemical energy systems such as (photo)electrochemical CO2 reduction and water splitting. BPMs exhibit a unique property to accelerate water dissociation and ionic separation that allows for maintaining a steady-state pH gradient in electrochemical devices without a significant loss in process efficiency, thereby allowing a broader catalyst material selection for the respective oxidation and reduction reactions. However, the formation of high-performance BPMs with significantly reduced overpotentials for driving water dissociation and ionic separation at conditions and rates that are relevant to energy technologies is a key challenge. Herein, we perform a detailed assessment of the requirements in base materials and optimal design routes for the BPM layer and interface formation. In particular, the interface in the BPM presents a critical component with its structure and morphology influencing the kinetics of water dissociation reaction governed by both electric field and catalyst driven mechanisms. For this purpose, we present, among others, the advantages and drawbacks in the utilization of a bulk heterojunction formed in 3D structures that recently have been reported to demonstrate a possibility of designing stable and high-performance BPMs. Also, the outer layers of a BPM play a crucial role in kinetics and mass transport, particularly related to water and ion transport at electrolyte-membrane and membrane-catalyst interfaces. This work aims at identifying the gaps in the structure-property of the current monopolar materials to provide prospective facile design routes for BPMs with excellent water dissociation and ionic separation efficiency. It extends to a discussion about material selection and design strategies of advanced BPMs for application in emerging electrochemical energy systems.
AB - Bipolar membranes (BPMs) are recently emerging as a promising material for application in advanced electrochemical energy systems such as (photo)electrochemical CO2 reduction and water splitting. BPMs exhibit a unique property to accelerate water dissociation and ionic separation that allows for maintaining a steady-state pH gradient in electrochemical devices without a significant loss in process efficiency, thereby allowing a broader catalyst material selection for the respective oxidation and reduction reactions. However, the formation of high-performance BPMs with significantly reduced overpotentials for driving water dissociation and ionic separation at conditions and rates that are relevant to energy technologies is a key challenge. Herein, we perform a detailed assessment of the requirements in base materials and optimal design routes for the BPM layer and interface formation. In particular, the interface in the BPM presents a critical component with its structure and morphology influencing the kinetics of water dissociation reaction governed by both electric field and catalyst driven mechanisms. For this purpose, we present, among others, the advantages and drawbacks in the utilization of a bulk heterojunction formed in 3D structures that recently have been reported to demonstrate a possibility of designing stable and high-performance BPMs. Also, the outer layers of a BPM play a crucial role in kinetics and mass transport, particularly related to water and ion transport at electrolyte-membrane and membrane-catalyst interfaces. This work aims at identifying the gaps in the structure-property of the current monopolar materials to provide prospective facile design routes for BPMs with excellent water dissociation and ionic separation efficiency. It extends to a discussion about material selection and design strategies of advanced BPMs for application in emerging electrochemical energy systems.
KW - 2D/3D interfaces
KW - bipolar membrane
KW - energy conversion and storage
KW - ion exchange membrane
KW - pH gradient
KW - water dissociation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85112441729&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1021/acsaem.1c01140
DO - 10.1021/acsaem.1c01140
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85112441729
SN - 2574-0962
VL - 4
SP - 7419
EP - 7439
JO - ACS Applied Energy Materials
JF - ACS Applied Energy Materials
IS - 8
ER -