Anion exchange membrane electrolysis (AEMEL) is a key technology for the ramp-up of the hydrogen economy because, although it is still at the laboratory scale, it potentially combines the advantages of competing electrolysis processes (alkaline electrolysis and proton exchange membrane electrolysis). AEMEL enables the use of precious metal-free catalysts while simultaneously achieving higher current densities during operation. One of the biggest challenges is the development of alternative catalyst materials to reduce the use of typically nickel-based catalysts. Therefore, the aim of the project is to develop innovative catalyst materials from multinary alloys. These combine the advantages of nanostructuring with those of alloys, which can increase performance and reduce material requirements. For material screening, AI-supported high-throughput experiments are carried out to determine suitable catalyst material compositions. The identified alloys are produced in a microwave plasma reactor using commercial metal powders as starting materials and are then characterized electrochemically and in AEMEL operation.

Project duration: 11/2025 - 10/2028

Financed by funds from the European Union