Nanometer scale imaging to develop quantitative descriptors of bipolar membrane junction structure.

Authors

Maria Kelly, Emily R Dunn, Ellis A Spickermann, Josephine N Gruber, César A Lasalde-Ramírez, P N Romero Zavala, Éowyn Lucas, Ankur Gupta, Harry A Atwater, Wilson A Smith

Published in

Scientific reports. Jul 01, 2026. Epub Jul 01, 2026.

Abstract

Swings in pH can be achieved by electrically polarizing a bipolar membrane (BPM) to drive water dissociation at the BPM junction for electrochemical conversion and separation processes. BPM junction design is critical to tailor performance for specific applications; however, characterization techniques capable of resolving the nanometer scale physical structure of the junction are limited. We present sample preparation, imaging, and analysis workflows that are adaptable to a variety of BPM junction architectures. Atomic force microscopy produces BPM junction images with nanometer scale lateral resolution for samples with and without a graphene oxide water dissociation catalyst in the junction. Subsequent image segmentation and analysis quantify line edge roughness and catalyst layer thickness as descriptors of junction structure. Comparison of pre- and post-electrodialysis junctions suggests electric field-induced alignment of catalyst particles during electrodialysis. This characterization workflow can inform manufacturing protocols, computational modeling, and failure mode analysis for next-generation BPMs.

PMID:
42386838
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 02 Jul 2026.

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