## 1 Introduction  
Hydrogen production through water electrolysis employs several key technologies: proton-exchange-membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE), alkaline water electrolysis (AWE), and anion-exchange-membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) [1, 2]. PEME is extensively commercialized due to its capability to generate high-purity hydrogen at elevated pressures, operating efficiently at high current densities with ultrapure water. However, it necessitates the use of precious metal catalysts, which are both expensive and scarce [3, 4]. AWE, also commercialized, offers high durability under alkaline conditions using cost-effective catalysts. Nevertheless, it operates at lower current densities because of the significant resistance posed by porous diaphragms and is unable to produce high-pressure hydrogen [5]. AEMWE seeks to integrate the advantages of both PEMWE and AWE while mitigating their respective limitations. It allows for the utilization of inexpensive and non-precious metal catalysts and does not require costly Nafion membranes [6; 7; 8]. Unlike AWE, AEMWE can produce hydrogen at high pressures, and the expensive titanium components used in PEMWE can be substituted with more affordable stainless steel (SUS). Consequently, research is directed toward developing AEMWE systems that leverage economical materials to achieve high performance and durability for practical applications [9; 10; 11; 12]. An AEMWE single cell comprises SUS end plates, current collectors, bipolar plates with flow channels, anode and cathode electrodes, and an anion-exchange membrane (AEM). Among these components, the AEM is pivotal as it separates the electrodes and facilitates hydroxide (OH\({}^{-}\)) ion transport [13]. The advancement of high-performance and durable AEMs is essential for the commercialization and industrial application of AEMWE, aiming to match the efficacy of PEMWE and AWE. However, challenges such as limited chemical stability and suboptimal performance of AEMs pose significant obstacles to the widespread adoption of AEMWE technology [14]. Therefore, developing AEMs with high alkaline stability and superior performance under conditions of high hydroxyl-ion concentration is crucial for the progression of this technology. In general, the molar conductivity of OH\({}^{-}\) (198.3 mho-cm\({}^{2}\) eq\({}^{-1}\)) is lower than that of H\({}^{+}\) (349.8 mho-cm\({}^{2}\) eq\({}^{-1}\)), resulting in lower conductivity of AEMs compared to proton-exchange membranes (PEMs) [15; 16]. To enhance AEM performance to levels comparable with PEMs, the ion-exchange capacity (IEC) is typically increased by incorporating a higher content of functional groups, such as quaternary ammonium (QA) groups and other functional groups like imidazolium, pyridinium, piperidinium, and phosphonium. However, AEMs encounter challenges including limited chemical durability due to degradation mechanisms like Hofmann elimination, nucleophilic substitution, and E1 elimination in the presence of high OH\({}^{-}\) concentrations. Additionally, increased hydrophilicity associated with higher IEC can compromise mechanical stability [17; 18; 19; 20; 21]. To address these issues, numerous studies have focused on improving the performance, chemical durability, and mechanical stability of AEMs. Strategies include designing molecular architectures to disperse cationic functional groups for enhanced OH\({}^{-}\) conductivity [22], branching polymerization with comb-shaped structures [23], main-chain entanglement, and using chemically stable monomers. Other approaches involve improving chemical stability through ether-free designs and increased molecular weight (MW) [24; 25], reinforcing composites with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) [26; 27], and developing pore-filling membranes using porous polyolefin substrates [28; 29; 30].