Cleaner Chemistry for Clean Energy: PFAS-Free Materials in PEM Electrochemical Technologies

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have found wide application in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) and water electrolysers (PEMELs), thanks to their exceptional chemical and thermal stability. However, their environmental persistence and growing regulatory pressure—particularly from the European Union—have made the transition to PFAS-free components a priority. This work reviews current advancements in alternative materials that can guarantee the same performance or maybe improve it. Although several non-fluorinated materials have demonstrated initial performance close to PFAS-based benchmarks, significant challenges remain. These include limited long-term stability, difficulties for new materials to fit into existing stack architectures, and the lack of standardized testing protocols. Nevertheless, recent efforts have successfully demonstrated a PFAS-free PEM electrolyser stack at TRL 4, validating the technical feasibility of full PFAS substitution. Achieving commercial readiness will require parallel progress in materials development and industrial scalability. This review highlights the possibility that hydrogen technologies, such as fuel cells and electroly