Dynamic hydroxide transport intrusively damages anion exchange membranes.

Dynamic hydroxide transport causes severe mechanical damage and performance decay in anion exchange membranes, with over 40% fuel cell efficiency loss after 1,000 hours.

• Why it matters: Understanding membrane stability under real operating conditions is crucial for improving fuel cell durability, as static tests overlook critical degradation mechanisms caused by ion transport.
• What they did: The study involved 1,000 hours of continuous electrically driven ion transport, combined with in situ X-ray scattering and ion measurements to analyze damage mechanisms and chemical interactions.
• The result: Findings show hydroxide clusters induce local overswelling, rupture polymer chains, and attack cations through nucleophilic reactions, highlighting the importance of dynamic transport effects on membrane stability.