Research Project
Polymer Electrolyte Membrane OER Discovery
Technology Readiness Level
TRL 3–5 Represents the transition from concept to early validation and prototyping
Energy Generation and StorageDiscovering materials to support green hydrogen
Green hydrogen is critical to decarbonizing hard-to-electrify sectors like heavy industry, long-duration energy storage, and transport by providing a zero-carbon fuel that can integrate surplus renewable power into the broader energy system. We focus on key reactions inside PEM (polymer electrolyte membrane) electrolyzers, including the oxygen-evolution reaction (OER), which strongly influences efficiency and long-term performance.
Project Goals
Improved Performance and Durability in PEM Electrolyzers
This project aims to advance materials for improved performance and durability in PEM electrolyzers, with current emphasis on the oxygen-evolution reaction (OER) that can govern efficiency and lifetime. We accelerate discovery using state-of-the-art metal nanoprinting via a VSParticle platform, pairing a VSP-P1 Nanostructured Material Printer with four VSP-G1 nanoparticle generator units, to rapidly create and screen compositionally diverse nanostructured catalysts from gas-phase nanoparticles (without wet-chemistry precursors).
The desired outcome is faster iteration from candidate materials to performance- and stability-informed down-selection under realistic operating considerations.
Applications
- Grid-Scale Renewable Hydrogen Storage: High-durability PEM electrolyzers enable large-scale hydrogen production to store excess wind and solar power, lowering LCOH and improving grid flexibility.
- Industrial Decarbonization: Improved performance and longer stack lifetimes reduce cost and technology risk for supplying green hydrogen to hard-to-abate industrial sectors.
- Distributed Energy & Mobility Systems: More resilient, load-flexible PEM systems support hydrogen refueling, microgrids, and backup power with higher reliability and lower maintenance.
Project Status
- TRL 3–5: Represents the transition from concept to early validation and prototyping
Why it Matters
Improving performance and durability in PEM electrolyzers matters because hydrogen’s role in decarbonizing power, industry, and heavy transport depends on cost, reliability, and scale. Today, stack degradation, precious metal intensity, and operational stress under dynamic loads remain key barriers to lowering the levelized cost of green hydrogen. Extending system lifetimes, reducing catalyst requirements, and improving efficiency directly reduce capital risk and improves bankability for scale.
Project Team
Jorge González, Ph.D.
Sara Williams
Jeff Wu, Ph.D.
Haley Tholen, Ph.D.
Soojin Zeman, Ph.D.
Uzoma Nwabara, Ph.D.
