Key Components and Design Strategy for a Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzer

As the most attractive energy carrier, hydrogen production through electro-chemical water splitting (EWS) is promising for resolving the serious environ-mental problems derived from the rapid consumption of fossil fuels globally. Theproton exchange membrane water electrolyzer (PEMWE) is one of the mostpromising EWS technologies and has achieved great advancements. To offer atimely reference for the progress of the PEMWE system, the latest advancementsand developments of PEMWE technology are systematically reviewed. The keycomponents, including the electrocatalysts, PEM, and porous transport layer(PTL) as well as bipolar plate (BPP), are first introduced and discussed, followedby the membrane electrode assembly and cell design. The highlights are put onthe design of the electrocatalyst and the relationship of each component on theperformance of the PEMWE. Moreover, the current challenges and future per-spectives for the development of PEMWE are also discussed. There is a hope thatthis review can provide a timely reference for future directions in PEMWEchallenges and perspectives.