Abstract：

　　The transition to a low carbon economy to avoid climate crisis requires green hydrogen, fuel cells and carbon capture. These technologies are necessary for the decarbonization of the sectors of our economy that are inaccessible by renewable electrons, such as chemical synthesis, long-haul heavy duty commercial transportation, and massive, long duration energy storage. For the past 15+ years, my research group has focused on engineering, catalysis, and materials for hydroxide exchange membrane (HEM) based electrochemical devices including electrolyzers (HEMELs), fuel cells (HEMFCs), and carbon capture. The use of a HEM provides these electrochemical devices with an alkaline operating environment and thus eliminates the need for precious metal catalysts and expensive stack components like titanium bipolar plates and porous transport layers. In this presentation, I will share our efforts on the design, synthesis, and commercialization of polymer hydroxide exchange membranes that started in the mid-2000s, and the engineering and scale up of HEMELs and HEMFCs, and carbon capture.   

References

1. Xiao, J. W.; Oliveira, A. M.; Wang, L.; Zhao, Y.; Wang, T.; Wang, J. H.; Setzler, B. P.; Yan, Y. S., Water-Fed Hydroxide Exchange Membrane Electrolyzer Enabled by a Fluoride-Incorporated Nickel-Iron Oxyhydroxide Oxygen Evolution Electrode. ACS CATALYSIS 2021, 11 (1), 264-270.

2. Wang, J. H.; Zhao, Y.; Setzler, B. P.; Rojas-Carbonell, S.; Ben Yehuda, C.; Amel, A.; Page, M.; Wang, L.; Hu, K.; Shi, L.; Gottesfeld, S.; Xu, B. J.; Yan, Y. S., Poly(aryl piperidinium) membranes and ionomers for hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells. NATURE ENERGY 2019, 4 (5), 392-398.

3. Setzler, B. P.; Zhuang, Z. B.; Wittkopf, J. A.; Yan, Y. S., Activity targets for nanostructured platinum group-metal-free catalysts in hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 2016, 11 (12), 1020-1025.

4. Shi, L.; Zhao, Y.; Matz, S.; Gottesfeld, S.; Setzler, B. P.; Yan, Y. S., A shorted membrane electrochemical cell powered by hydrogen to remove CO2 from the air feed of hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells. NATURE ENERGY 2022, 7 (3), 238-247.

Biosketch：

　　Yushan Yan is the Henry B. du Pont Chair of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Founding Director of Center for Clean Hydrogen at the University of Delaware. He previously held the position of Founding Associate Dean for Research and Entrepreneurship at the University of Delaware, Department Chair at the University of California Riverside, and Senior Staff Engineer and Project Leader at AlliedSignal. His research focuses on green hydrogen, fuel cells and carbon capture using polymer hydroxide exchange membranes. His recognitions include the R. H. Wilhelm Award for Chemical Reaction Engineering, the Braskem Award for Excellence in Materials Science and Engineering, and the Nanoscale Science and Engineering Forum Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers; the Carl Wagner Memorial Award and the Energy Technology Division Research Award from the Electrochemical Society; the Donald Breck Award from the International Zeolite Association; Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Academy of Inventors, and the Electrochemical Society; He is a Member of the National Academy of Engineering, a Highly Cited Researcher by Web of Science, and the Founder and CEO of Versogen and a Cofounder of RepAir. He received his BS in Chemical Physics from the University of Science and Technology of China and PhD in Chemical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology.