Ion Conductive Paper-Based Membranes for Flow Batteries, Fuel Cells and Beyond

Objective

The Grand Challenge in advancing energy storage and conversion technologies and beyond necessitates cost-effective components that have minimal environmental impact and can be produced at scale without reliance on strategically constrained or critical raw materials. In this context, ion conductive membranes are integral parts of many of these technologies such as flow batteries, electrolyzers, fuel cells and electrodialysis. IonPap addresses this challenge by innovating sustainable alternatives to traditional membranes, which currently rely on hazardous perfluorinated (e.g. Nafion) materials, currently considered to be banned by the EU policy. By leveraging a commodity product, paper, which is produced sustainably across Europe, IonPap introduces ion conductivity through the application of sustainably sourced ionic liquids, subsequently polymerized to form an interpenetrated poly-ionic liquid-paper network. This novel architecture features nanochannels that facilitate efficient ion transport comparable to current PFAS-type membranes. Building on the foundational research conducted in the EIC Pathfinder project VanillaFlow (GA no. 101115293), IonPap aims to translate laboratory-scale feasibility into optimized membrane performance, pilot production capabilities, and comprehensive techno-economic and life cycle assessments (TRL-6). Our objectives include achieving membrane costs which are much lower than currently used membranes while ensuring environmental safety and performance benchmarks that meet or exceed those of traditional PFAS type membranes.