title: Use of bipolar membranes for maintaining steady-state pH gradients in membrane-supported, solar-driven water splitting.
abstract: A bipolar membrane can maintain a steady-state pH difference between the sites of oxidation and reduction in membrane-supported, solar-driven water-splitting systems without changing the overall thermodynamics required to split water. A commercially available bipolar membrane that can serve this purpose has been identified, its performance has been evaluated quantitatively, and is demonstrated to meet the requirements for this application. For effective utilization in integrated solar-driven water-splitting systems, such bipolar membranes must, however, be modified to simultaneously optimize their physical properties such as optical transparency, electronic conductivity and kinetics of water dissociation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, 144 Dysart Rd, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 (Canada).
authors.forename: Michael B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.forename: Shane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ardo
authors.forename: Nathan S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Freund
mesh_terms: D004566:Electrodes; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D013472:Sunlight; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D014867:Water
keywords: PEC membranes; artificial photosynthesis; bipolar membranes; earth-abundant materials; pH gradients