Choi, Young Bin Lee, Ju Yeon Kim, Sehak Kim, Yunah Lee, Yerim Seong, Jong Geun Hu, Chuan Lim, Katie Heeyum Park, Hee-Young Jang, Jong Hyun Yoon, Sung Pil Yu, Seung-Ho Lee, Young Moo Lee, So Young 2026-02-03T05:30:30Z 2026-02-03T05:30:30Z 2026-02-02 2026-01 2522-0128 https://pubs.kist.re.kr/handle/201004/154112 Zirfon diaphragms, widely employed in alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) systems, exhibit excellent mechanical robustness; however, their highly porous structure results in poor gas-barrier properties, rendering them unsuitable for high current density operation in anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE). In this work, we developed a thin-film-assembled (TFA) membrane by laminating commercial Zirfon with ultrathin polymer membranes, including para-polybenzimidazole (p-PBI) and poly(dibenzyl-co-terphenyl piperidinium) (PDTP). This multilayer architecture significantly reduced hydrogen permeance compared with Zirfon alone (over tenfold reduction) while maintaining high mechanical integrity. Consequently, the TFA membrane demonstrated outstanding AEMWE cell performance, achieving 3,926 mA cm(-)(2) at 2.0 V with PGM catalysts, and 2,261 mA cm(-)(2) at 2.0 V using PGM-free catalysts in 30 wt% KOH at 90 degrees C. Furthermore, the TFA membrane showed remarkable durability, stably operating at 2.0 A cm(-)(2) for 1,000 h and 2.5 A cm(-)(2) for 670 h at 90 degrees C without interruption. This study highlights the effectiveness of Zirfon-polymer hybrid stacking as a membrane design strategy for achieving high current density, durable AEMWE operation. English SPRINGER NATURE A highly durable thin-film assembled membrane for efficient gas crossover suppression in anion exchange membrane water electrolysis Article 10.1007/s42114-025-01562-0 1 Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials, v.9, no.1 Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials 9 1 N scie scopus 001658633600002 2-s2.0-105027347257 Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Materials Science, Composites Science & Technology - Other Topics Materials Science Article HYDROGEN CROSSOVER PARA-POLYBENZIMIDAZOLE PERFORMANCE FABRICATION MECHANISMS PEM Accelerated stress test (AST) Thin film assembled membrane (TFA) Alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) Anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) Gas permeability