Publication date: 15th December 2025
Increasing demand for fluorine-free membrane materials highlights the urgent need for proton exchange water electrolysis (PEMWE) systems that combine environmental compatibility with high-rate durability. Although fluorinated membranes such as Nafion provide exceptional mechanical and chemical robustness, their long-term deployment is constrained by environmental persistence.[1, 2] Sulfonated aromatic hydrocarbon polymers offer advantages in cost and recyclability, yet their loose chain packing, excessive hydration, and limited durability under industrial current densities remain key challenges.[3, 4]
Here we report an electrochemical reconfiguration strategy for sulfonated aromatic proton membranes, implemented in a practical PEMWE cell using a catalyst-coated-substrate configuration. Under variable-voltage electrochemical operation, the sulfonic groups and aromatic backbones undergo directional rearrangement that forms compact and continuous proton-transport pathways. This structural refinement enhances intermolecular stacking, strengthens mechanical integrity, and markedly suppresses gas permeation. When integrated into PEMWE cells with IrO2 anodes and Pt/C cathodes, the reconfigured membrane achieves long-term stability of over 4500 h at 1 A/cm2 with low voltage decay and hydrogen crossover.
The membrane can also be recast, and reactivated, with recycled membranes retaining more than 80% of their initial performance. Together, these results establish reconfigurable sulfonated aromatic membranes as a compelling fluorine-free platform for high-current proton exchange water electrolysis and point to a new materials design strategy for sustainable hydrogen production.
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