ABSTRACT Hydrogen production via proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) is widely adopted. The anticipated ban on per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), such as Nafion, necessitates alternative membranes with comparable performance. In this study, sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) was modified with a newly synthesized ionic liquid (IL), TEA‐PS.MeSO 3 , to enhance conductivity. The effect of two impregnation media, water and methanol, on IL incorporation via immersion was investigated. Impregnation parameters were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). Characterization confirmed IL incorporation, improved hydrophilicity, and enhanced proton transport. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) showed conductivity of 0.47 S cm −1 for water and 0.40 S cm −1 for methanol, corresponding to 6.7‐ and 5.7‐fold improvements over pristine SPEEK. These results demonstrate IL‐modified SPEEK membranes as viable alternatives to Nafion for PEMWE.
Nawi et al. (Wed,) studied this question.