Paul Scherrer Institut

Steffen Garbe

Lorenz Gubler

Ugljesa Babic

Thomas Justus Schmidt

A method of preparing an ionomer of an ion exchange membrane with a recombination catalyst to prevent gas crossover of species, such as hydrogen and/or oxygen, to anodic and cathodic cell compartments of an electrochemical cell. An ionomer of an ion exchange membrane is prepared with a recombination catalyst. The ionomer is a proton or anion exchange polymer and the recombination catalyst, selected from the precious metals group, is provided in ionic form in a liquid metal salt solution. The ion exchange membrane is immersed into the liquid metal salt solution to exchange ionic ionomer ports with the ionic form of the recombination catalyst. The membrane is then assembled in the electrochemical cell and the ionic form of the recombination catalyst is at least partly reduced to metallic form by forcing hydrogen to permeate through the ionomer of the ion exchange membrane.

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Dietikon, Switzerland

Steffen Garbe