Prashant Kamat

@kamat.bsky.social

Rev John A. Zahm Professor of Science, Univ Notre Dame -interested in renewable energy, nanoscience, material science, photochemistry, electrochemistry and scientific publications. Editor-in-Chief @ACS Energy Letters. Views are my own (URL: Kamatlab.com )

Editors' Choice (Free to read) article Coupled Interfacial Kinetics and Transport Resistances Govern High-Current Behavior in Bipolar Membranes | ACS Energy Letters by @kelseyhatzell.bsky.social @martahatzell.bsky.social @boettcherlab.bsky.social and others pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

Coupled Interfacial Kinetics and Transport Resistances Govern High-Current Behavior in Bipolar Membranes

Bipolar membranes (BPMs) enable electrochemical systems that operate across large pH gradients; however, high-current operation is often limited by voltage losses whose origins remain difficult to resolve in membrane−electrode assemblies. Here, we combine electrochemical impedance spectroscopy with distribution of relaxation times (EIS–DRT) analysis and operando synchrotron X-ray diffraction to examine interfacial polarization, membrane hydration, and transport in commercial and synthesized BPMs. EIS–DRT isolates the BPM-associated interfacial contribution and shows that the commercial BPM exhibits larger water-dissociation-associated overpotentials than the synthesized BPM. Operando hydration mapping shows that both membranes retain water at the bipolar junction during high-current operation, while anode-adjacent hydration gradients are more pronounced in the commercial membrane. These results indicate that high-current voltage losses are not governed by junction water starvation alone but by coupled interfacial polarization and transport resistances.

pubs.acs.org

Just Published: Review article Dynamic Ion Migration in 2D Halide Perovskites | ACS Nano pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10....

Dynamic Ion Migration in 2D Halide Perovskites

Two-dimensional (2D) and quasi-2D layered perovskites, composed of alternating spacer cations and inorganic layers, have emerged as promising alternatives to conventional three-dimensional (3D) perovskites due to their suppressed halide ion mobility and improved ambient stability. Nevertheless, both halide anion and spacer cation migration can still occur in these reduced-dimensional perovskites, and ion migration remains a critical challenge for perovskite optoelectronic applications. Under photoirradiation and electrochemical bias, intrinsic iodine electrochemistry drives defect-mediated halide ion migration, further promoting halide segregation in mixed halide systems. Several effective strategies have been proposed to mitigate such dynamic ion migration, including controlling the inorganic layer number (n), crystallographic phase (Ruddlesden–Popper or Dion–Jacobson), crystal orientation, and, most importantly, the molecular structure of the intercalated spacer cations. However, a mechanistic understanding that links these structural parameters (spacer, A-, B-, and X-site composition) to lattice stability and ion migration remains limited. The ion migration processes discussed in this review provide insights into the thermodynamic and kinetic factors governing ion migration and offer design principles for improving the long-term operational stability of perovskite-based devices.

pubs.acs.org