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OUR ELECTRODESBifunctional NiCo Electrodes for AEM & AWE
Bi-metallic NiCo deposited on large-area Ni foam (100–1000 cm²) via electroless deposition. The same electrode operates as both HER cathode and OER anode, with 80 mV / 260 mV overpotential at 100 mA/cm² in 30 wt% KOH (no IR correction).
Polarization (RT vs 60 °C)
VALIDATEDHER overpotential @ 100 mA/cm²
OER overpotential @ 100 mA/cm²
cm² electrode area
1000-hour degradation rate
No IR correction · 30 wt% KOH · AEM cell with commercial Zirfon separator (500 µm) · 5 cm² active area in the cell tests below.
Product Properties
The electrode in one table. Every claim is grounded in the published test cell. No IR-corrected numbers, no extrapolation.
| Parameter | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Substrate | Ni foam | 100–1000 cm² area |
| Active catalyst | Bi-metallic NiCo | transition-metal compound |
| Deposition | Electroless | scalable, no external current |
| HER overpotential | 80 mV @ 100 mA/cm² | no IR correction |
| OER overpotential | 260 mV @ 100 mA/cm² | no IR correction |
| Bifunctional | Yes | same electrode on cathode and anode |
| PGM content | None | no Pt / Ir / Ru exposure |
| Test cell | AEM, 5 cm² active area | 30 wt% KOH, zero-gap, Zirfon separator |
Why this electrode
Six structural advantages over precious-metal and bare-Ni alternatives. No fabricated competitor numbers, just what the product actually delivers.
Bifunctional architecture
The same electrode acts as HER cathode and OER anode. A single SKU on both sides simplifies inventory, stack assembly, and replacement parts.
Non-PGM, no supply-chain risk
No platinum, iridium, or ruthenium. Cost is decoupled from PGM markets, a structural advantage at GW scale.
Electroless, scalable to 1000 cm²
No external current required during deposition. The process conformally coats porous Ni foam and scales from 100 cm² lab cells to 1000 cm² industrial cells without recipe changes.
Industrial current density
0.5 A/cm² at 1.62 V (91.4% energy efficiency) at 60 °C in the AEM test cell. 1.0 A/cm² at 1.79 V on the same configuration.
1000-hour proven stability
Continuous chronopotentiometry at 0.5 A/cm² and 40 °C shows 21 µV/hr drift over 1000 hours, with ΔV = 30 mV before/after at the operating point.
Renewable-dynamic tolerant
Validated under 9 days of solar-derived cycling (peaks ~570 mA/cm²) and 100 hours of wind-derived transients (0–0.78 A/cm², ΔV = 20 mV before/after).
Test cell context
The cell behind every number below
@ 0.5 A/cm² · RT · 82% efficiency
@ 0.5 A/cm² · 60 °C · 91.4% efficiency
@ 1.0 A/cm² · 60 °C
Industrial current density at modest cell voltage
With the bifunctional NiCo electrode on both sides and a commercial Zirfon separator, the AEM cell logs 0.5 A/cm² at 1.62 V at 60 °C, equating to 91.4% energy efficiency at the operating point most stack OEMs target. The 60 °C polarization curve sits well below the RT curve across the full current-density range.
1000 hours at industrial current density
Continuous chronopotentiometry of the NiCo electrode at 0.5 A/cm² and 40 °C in 30 wt% KOH shows a voltage drift of just 21 µV/hr over 1000 hours. The before/after linear-sweep polarization curves overlap closely; ΔV at the operating point is 30 mV.
1000-hour chronopotentiometry
STABLEPV-derived current profile
9 DAYS9-day solar-coupled operation
Solar-irradiance data from sunrise to sunset was sampled, converted into a current-density schedule peaking near 570 mA/cm², and applied to the cell for nine continuous days. Cell voltage tracks the input profile without offset, and there is no measurable cycle-over-cycle drift on the electrode.
100-hour wind-coupled operation
Wind-speed variation over 100 hours was sampled and converted to a current-density schedule (0 → 0.78 A/cm²) with rapid gusts and sustained troughs. After the run, the linear-sweep polarization curve sits within 20 mV of the pre-test curve at the 0.5 A/cm² operating point.
Wind-derived current profile
100 HRNatural pairing
Pair our Electrodes with IONZERA
The numbers on this page used a commercial Zirfon separator (500 µm, ~0.30 Ω·cm²) as the membrane reference. Pairing the same electrode with our IONZERA separator (0.09–0.1 Ω·cm²) reduces the membrane voltage drop from ~0.15 V to ~0.05 V at 0.5 A/cm².
A fully integrated stack from one source: bifunctional NiCo electrodes on both sides plus IONZERA as the separator.
Membrane drop with Zirfon
at 0.5 A/cm²
Membrane drop with IONZERA
at 0.5 A/cm²
Net cell-voltage reduction (membrane swap only)
at 0.5 A/cm², same electrode on both sides
Explore the electrode
Featured electrode applications
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is our bifunctional NiCo electrode?
A bi-metallic nickel-cobalt catalyst deposited on Ni foam (100 to 1000 cm²) by electroless deposition. The same coated electrode operates as both HER cathode and OER anode at 80 mV and 260 mV overpotential at 100 mA/cm² in 30 wt% KOH (no IR correction).
What cell-level performance is published?
In a 5 cm² AEM cell with our bifunctional NiCo electrode on both sides and a commercial Zirfon separator (500 µm) at zero-gap, the cell logs 0.5 A/cm² at 1.81 V at room temperature (82% efficiency) and 1.62 V at 60 °C (91.4%). At 1.0 A/cm²: 2.05 V at RT and 1.79 V at 60 °C.
How long has the electrode been tested for stability?
Continuous 1000-hour chronopotentiometry at 0.5 A/cm² and 40 °C in 30 wt% KOH. Voltage drift over the 1000-hour window: 21 µV/hr. Before/after linear-sweep polarization curves differ by 30 mV at 0.5 A/cm².
Is the electrode validated for renewable-coupled operation?
Yes. PV-irradiance-derived current schedules applied for 9 continuous days (peaks ~570 mA/cm²) and wind-variation-derived schedules for 100 hours (0 to 0.78 A/cm²) on the same cell. ΔV at 0.5 A/cm² before and after the 100-hour wind run: 20 mV.
What substrate sizes can I order?
We produce the bifunctional NiCo electrode on Ni foam in the 100 to 1000 cm² size range. Bench-scale 5 cm² coupons matching the size used in our published AEM test cell are also available for bench-scale qualification.
Does this electrode work in PEM electrolyzers?
No. Our electrode is designed for alkaline electrolyzers (AWE and AEM) operating in concentrated KOH. PEM electrolyzers operate in acidic environments where non-PGM catalysts typically dissolve; PGM catalysts (Pt, Ir, Ru) are the established choice there.
How does it compare to Pt/Ir or Raney nickel?
We publish informational comparisons that state what our electrode is and what each alternative is, with no fabricated numeric "better than" claims. See the comparisons section for catalyst-family context. Side-by-side performance testing is typically done on the OEM's own cell as a decision step.
Can I pair the electrode with the IONZERA separator?
Both products are offered. The published numbers on this site used a commercial Zirfon separator (500 µm) as the membrane reference. Pairing tests with IONZERA have not been published; both products are sold independently and can be evaluated together by customer teams.
Run our Electrodes in your cell
Request a sample to evaluate the bifunctional NiCo electrode at your operating point. We can help size from 5 cm² coupons to 1000 cm² pilot cells.
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