Flexibly linked and isomeric piperidinium-based anion exchange membrane with enhanced alkaline stability for durable alkaline water electrolysis
Peng, Zhen ; Ren, Zhiwei ; Chen, Si LU ; Zhao, Yun ; Jannasch, Patric LU
and Yang, Jingshuai
LU
(2025)
In International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
188.
- Abstract
- A critical challenge in developing anion exchange membrane (AEM) water electrolysis is to design high-performance AEMs with chemical and mechanical stability under harsh alkaline environments. Herein, we report the rational design and synthesis of QP(T-3-Pip) featuring flexibly linked isomeric piperidinium cations via a Friedel-Crafts polyhydroxyalkylation between terphenyl and commercial 3-piperidinaldehyde. Two key molecular engineering strategies are employed: (i) introducing a methylene linker to relieve ring strain, and (ii) strategically positioning the quaternary nitrogen at the 3-position of the piperidinium ring to suppress β-hydrogen elimination. Compared to the benchmark quaternized poly(terphenyl piperidinium) (QPTP),... (More)
- A critical challenge in developing anion exchange membrane (AEM) water electrolysis is to design high-performance AEMs with chemical and mechanical stability under harsh alkaline environments. Herein, we report the rational design and synthesis of QP(T-3-Pip) featuring flexibly linked isomeric piperidinium cations via a Friedel-Crafts polyhydroxyalkylation between terphenyl and commercial 3-piperidinaldehyde. Two key molecular engineering strategies are employed: (i) introducing a methylene linker to relieve ring strain, and (ii) strategically positioning the quaternary nitrogen at the 3-position of the piperidinium ring to suppress β-hydrogen elimination. Compared to the benchmark quaternized poly(terphenyl piperidinium) (QPTP), QP(T-3-Pip) demonstrates substantially improved water uptake (77 %), comparable ionic conductivity, and superior tensile strength (∼20 MPa). Notably, QP(T-3-Pip) retains over 78 % of its cationic functionality after 40 days in 5 M KOH at 80 °C, while QPTP shows pronounced degradation after 24 days. Electrolyzer tests using non-noble metal catalysts, QP(T-3-Pip) reveal a high current density of 2.3 A cm−2 at 1.8 V, and exceptional operational durability over 750 h at 1.0 A cm−2. This work highlights the critical role of piperidinium isomerism and linker engineering in tuning alkaline stability and mechanical integrity, offering a robust and scalable platform for next-generation AEMs for cost-effective alkaline water electrolyzers. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/5d2bb54b-f251-44db-ab29-4c45caa5a14f
- author
- Peng, Zhen
; Ren, Zhiwei
; Chen, Si
LU
; Zhao, Yun
; Jannasch, Patric
LU
and Yang, Jingshuai
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
- volume
- 188
- article number
- 151884
- pages
- 8 pages
- publisher
- Elsevier
- ISSN
- 1879-3487
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2025.151884
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 5d2bb54b-f251-44db-ab29-4c45caa5a14f
- date added to LUP
- 2025-06-20 16:59:22
- date last changed
- 2025-10-27 10:25:14
@article{5d2bb54b-f251-44db-ab29-4c45caa5a14f,
abstract = {{A critical challenge in developing anion exchange membrane (AEM) water electrolysis is to design high-performance AEMs with chemical and mechanical stability under harsh alkaline environments. Herein, we report the rational design and synthesis of QP(T-3-Pip) featuring flexibly linked isomeric piperidinium cations via a Friedel-Crafts polyhydroxyalkylation between terphenyl and commercial 3-piperidinaldehyde. Two key molecular engineering strategies are employed: (i) introducing a methylene linker to relieve ring strain, and (ii) strategically positioning the quaternary nitrogen at the 3-position of the piperidinium ring to suppress β-hydrogen elimination. Compared to the benchmark quaternized poly(terphenyl piperidinium) (QPTP), QP(T-3-Pip) demonstrates substantially improved water uptake (77 %), comparable ionic conductivity, and superior tensile strength (∼20 MPa). Notably, QP(T-3-Pip) retains over 78 % of its cationic functionality after 40 days in 5 M KOH at 80 °C, while QPTP shows pronounced degradation after 24 days. Electrolyzer tests using non-noble metal catalysts, QP(T-3-Pip) reveal a high current density of 2.3 A cm<sup>−2</sup> at 1.8 V, and exceptional operational durability over 750 h at 1.0 A cm<sup>−2</sup>. This work highlights the critical role of piperidinium isomerism and linker engineering in tuning alkaline stability and mechanical integrity, offering a robust and scalable platform for next-generation AEMs for cost-effective alkaline water electrolyzers.}},
author = {{Peng, Zhen and Ren, Zhiwei and Chen, Si and Zhao, Yun and Jannasch, Patric and Yang, Jingshuai}},
issn = {{1879-3487}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{International Journal of Hydrogen Energy}},
title = {{Flexibly linked and isomeric piperidinium-based anion exchange membrane with enhanced alkaline stability for durable alkaline water electrolysis}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2025.151884}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.ijhydene.2025.151884}},
volume = {{188}},
year = {{2025}},
}