Development and production of PFAS-free electrodes, CCMs and MEAs for electrolysis, fuel cells and Power-to-X
ionysis GmbH
Freiburg im BreisgauNew on Amplifa
Electrochemistry from research to industrial production
ionysis is a spin-off of the University of Freiburg and develops and produces catalyst-coated membranes (CCMs), electrodes and membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) for electrochemical applications. The focus is on PFAS-free, hydrocarbon-based materials as well as low-iridium and iridium-free catalyst systems for AEM and PEM electrolysis, fuel cells for 120–180 °C operation, Power-to-X (CO₂, CCUS and nitrogen conversion) as well as separation and resource recovery. Production is carried out using a roll-to-roll coating process with web widths up to 47 cm in an ISO Class 5 cleanroom, complemented by electrochemical validation, component benchmarking and pilot production. An AI-supported, data-driven development approach shortens the path from material concept to validated product. 300 m² of laboratory facilities are available at the Freiburg site; the company is ISO 9001 certified and serves more than 70 customers. The five-person founding team continues to lead the company together.
- Site
- Freiburg im Breisgau
- Processes
- Production of catalyst-coated membranes (CCMs), Roll-to-roll coating, Production of electrodes and membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs), Pilot production of electrochemical components, Coating process development and scale-up, Electrochemical validation / component benchmarking, Component design and material integration, AEM electrolysis electrodes and MEAs (iridium-free)
- Materials
- PFAS-free hydrocarbon membranes, Low-iridium catalyst systems, Iridium-free catalyst systems, Roll-to-roll coating, Cleanroom production ISO Class 5
- Certificates
- ISO 9001
- Industries
- Hydrogen economy (AEM and PEM electrolysis), Fuel cells, Carbon capture / CCUS / Power-to-X, Recovery and separation
- 01
Material evaluation
- 02
Component design and material integration
- 03
Coating process development (roll-to-roll)
- 04
Pilot production of CCMs, electrodes and MEAs
- 05
Electrochemical validation and benchmarking
Material systems and processes
PFAS-free hydrocarbon membranes
PFAS-free membrane material for electrolysis, fuel cells and other electrochemical applications.
Low-iridium catalyst systems
Catalysts with reduced iridium content for cost reduction in electrolysis.
Iridium-free catalyst systems
Catalyst systems for cost-efficient AEM electrolysis electrodes and MEAs.
Roll-to-roll coating
Scalable coating process with web widths up to 47 cm for CCMs and electrodes.
Cleanroom production ISO Class 5
Controlled production environment for reproducible quality requirements.
Freiburg site
Freiburg im Breisgau
DELaboratory and production site (FRIZ – Building B)
- Materials
- Hydrocarbon membranes, low-/iridium-free catalysts
- Roll-to-roll coating system (up to 47 cm web width)
- ISO Class 5 cleanroom
Products and components
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production of catalyst-coated membranes (CCMs)Surface | – | 47 cm (coating width) | – | – | Hydrocarbon membranes (PFAS-free), Iridium-free catalyst systems, Low-iridium catalyst systems |
| Roll-to-roll coatingSurface | – | 47 cm (coating width) | – | – | PFAS-free hydrocarbon membranes, Catalyst materials |
| Production of electrodes and membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs)Assembly | – | – | – | – | PFAS-free hydrocarbon membranes, Low-iridium catalysts, Iridium-free catalysts |
| Pilot production of electrochemical componentsAssembly | – | – | – | – | Electrode materials, Membrane materials, Catalysts |
| Coating process development and scale-upSurface | – | – | – | – | Membranes, Catalysts |
| Electrochemical validation / component benchmarkingTesting | – | – | – | – | CCMs, Electrodes, MEAs |
| Component design and material integrationEngineering | – | – | – | – | Membrane materials, Catalyst materials |
| AEM electrolysis electrodes and MEAs (iridium-free)Surface | – | – | – | – | Iridium-free catalyst systems, Hydrocarbon materials |
| PEM electrolysis CCMs (hydrocarbon-based)Surface | – | – | – | – | Hydrocarbon materials |
| MEAs for fuel cells (120–180 °C operation)Surface | – | – | – | – | Hydrocarbon materials |
| Electrodes and MEAs for Power-to-X (CO₂, CCUS and nitrogen conversion)Surface | – | – | – | – | Hydrocarbon materials |
| Electrodes and MEAs for separation, water treatment and resource recoverySurface | – | – | – | – | Hydrocarbon materials |
2 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roll-to-roll coating system | – | – | up to 47 cm coating width | – | Freiburg, Germany |
| ISO Class 5 cleanroom | – | – | – | – | Freiburg, Germany |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality
ionysis works with ISO-9001-certified processes in an ISO-Class-5 cleanroom, thereby ensuring consistent quality from production to delivery.
| Evidence | Freiburg im Breisgau |
|---|---|
| ISO 9001 |
History
Founded as a university spin-off of the University of Freiburg; builds on more than a decade of electrochemical research in Freiburg
- 2026
Participation in the BMFTR-funded project “EthylenDirekt” for direct electrochemical ethylene production from CO₂ capture liquids
- 2026
First successful full-cell-size stack validation of AEM electrolysis electrodes with H2i GreenHydrogen