FDFC 2026 – CNR-ITAE

Antonino S. Aricò, Director of CNR-ITAE, recently attended the 10th International Conference on Fundamentals & Developments of Fuel Cells and Electrolysers (FDFC2026) in Montpellier, France.  

The presentation illustrated the latest results on the application of chemically stabilised short-side-chain proton exchange Aquivion® membrane containing a Ce-radical scavenger for high-current density and high-pressure water electrolysis. 

Below is the abstract from the presentation. 

Abstract – Pressurised PEM water electrolyser based on a thin short-side-chain Aquivion® membrane 

Chemically stabilised short-side-chain proton exchange Aquivion® membrane containing a Ce-radical 

scavenger was investigated for operation at a high current density with a reduced concentration of H2 in O2 and with improved stability in a water electrolysis single cell. At the beginning of life, the performance was initially low due to proton exchange with Ce ions released by the scavenger; however, performance increased by time, resulting in a system more efficient than of bare extruded and reinforced membranes. In addition, the Ce-scavenger-based membrane exhibited a lower H₂ concentration in O₂ compared with MEAs using unmodified membranes, indicating that an increased tortuosity effect for the gas crossover induced by the Ce-based nanofiller. This study demonstrates that membrane fabrication and the presence of a Ce nanofiller strongly affect the interfacial properties between membrane and electrodes in PEM water electrolysis. Specifically, the Ce-containing Aquivion® perfluorosulfonic acid membrane showed excellent resistance to degradation and reduced hydrogen content in the oxygen stream. The continued performance improvement observed during a 3,500-hour durability test confirms that the nanofiller effectively enhances system stability.