Maximilian Cieluch, Dennis Düerkop, Norbert Kazamer, Florian Wirkert, Pit Podleschny, Ulrich Rost, Achim Schmiemann, Michael Brodmann

• Since high costs restrict the wide-range implementation of green hydrogen production capacities based on proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE), efforts on cost reduced components need to be made. Beside the necessary noble metal catalyst, the membrane material is a main cost driver. In this work, a novel glass fibre reinforced PFSA/ssPS composite membrane is investigated as an alternative to widely used Nafion®. These membranes are processed into membrane-electrode-assemblies (MEAs) in conjunction with catalyst-coated substrates, prepared via electrochemical catalyst deposition. This approach is promising to reduce costs due to less expensive raw materials and due to increasing catalyst utilization by graded catalyst layers. Characterisation of the components and entire MEAs was performed ex-situ as well as in-situ via PEMWE operation.