Stabilizing the Catalyst Layer for Durable and High Performance Alkaline Membrane Fuel Cells and Water Electrolyzers

Anion exchange membrane (AEM) fuel cells (AEMFCs) and water electrolyzers (AEMWEs) suffer from insufficient performance and durability compared with commercialized energy conversion systems. Great efforts have been devoted to designing high-quality AEMs and catalysts. However, the significance of the stability of the catalyst layer has been largely disregarded. Here, an in situ cross-linking strategy was developed to promote the interactions within the catalyst layer and the interactions between catalyst layer and AEM. The adhesion strength of the catalyst layer after cross-linking was improved 7 times compared with the uncross-linked catalyst layer due to the formation of covalent bonds between the catalyst layer and AEM. The AEMFC can be operated under 0.6 A cm^-2 for 1000 h with a voltage decay rate of 20 μV h^-1. The related AEMWE achieved an unprecedented current density of 15.17 A cm^-2 at 2.0 V and was operated at 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 A cm^-2 for 1000 h.