GREEN HYDROGEN
GREEN HYDROGENOur NiCo Electrode for Green Hydrogen Production
A bifunctional bi-metallic NiCo catalyst on large-area Ni foam, electroless-deposited and tested on both cathode and anode of an AEM cell. 91.4% energy efficiency at 0.5 A/cm2 at 60 deg C with a commercial Zirfon separator.
Polarization (RT vs 60 °C)
TESTBEDHigh energy efficiency at industrial current density
With our bifunctional NiCo electrode on both sides and a commercial Zirfon separator (500 um), the AEM cell reaches 0.5 A/cm2 at 1.62 V at 60 deg C, equating to 91.4% energy efficiency at the operating point most stack designers target for green hydrogen plants.
Renewable-coupled validation
9 continuous days of solar-derived dynamic cycling and 100 hours of wind-derived cycling have been applied to the same bifunctional NiCo electrode in the AEM cell with a commercial Zirfon separator. DeltaV after the wind run is 20 mV at 0.5 A/cm2.
Bifunctional, single SKU on both sides
The same coated electrode operates as HER cathode and OER anode. In the 5 cm2 AEM test cell at 30 wt% KOH and 100 mA/cm2 (no IR correction), HER overpotential is 80 mV and OER overpotential is 260 mV.
1000-hour stability proven
Our bifunctional NiCo electrode paired with a commercial Zirfon separator was run continuously for 1000 hours at 0.5 A/cm2 and 40 deg C in 30 wt% KOH. The cell voltage drifted by 21 uV/hr.
The role of the electrode in a green hydrogen plant
A green hydrogen plant converts renewable electricity into hydrogen by water electrolysis. Two factors dominate the cost per kilogram of hydrogen: the cost of electricity and the energy efficiency of the electrolyzer. The electrodes are where the actual electrochemistry happens, and their overpotentials at the HER and OER half-reactions set the floor for the voltage that has to be supplied above the thermodynamic minimum.
Our bifunctional NiCo electrode is a bi-metallic transition-metal catalyst on Ni foam (100 to 1000 cm2), produced by electroless deposition. The same coated electrode operates as both HER cathode and OER anode at 80 mV HER overpotential and 260 mV OER overpotential at 100 mA/cm2 in 30 wt% KOH, without any IR correction.
0.5 A/cm2 @ 60 deg C
0.5 A/cm2 @ RT
1.0 A/cm2 @ 60 deg C
91.4% energy efficiency at 0.5 A/cm2 in our published test cell
In the 5 cm2 AEM test cell with our bifunctional NiCo electrode on both sides, 30 wt% KOH, zero-gap assembly, and a commercial Zirfon separator (500 um), 0.5 A/cm2 was reached at 1.62 V at 60 deg C. That corresponds to 91.4% energy efficiency at the operating point most green hydrogen plants target.
At room temperature the same bifunctional NiCo electrode and commercial Zirfon separator measured 1.81 V at 0.5 A/cm2 (82% energy efficiency). At 1.0 A/cm2, the cell voltage was 1.79 V at 60 deg C and 2.05 V at room temperature. Energy efficiency improves with temperature, and the published numbers reflect both operating points.
Renewable-coupled validation matters for green hydrogen
A green hydrogen plant powered by solar or wind sees a non-flat current schedule throughout the day and across seasons. Catalysts and separators that work under steady DC do not always survive the rapid transients of renewable coupling.
Solar-irradiance data was sampled from sunrise to sunset, converted into a current-density schedule peaking near 570 mA/cm2, and applied to the AEM cell with our bifunctional NiCo electrode on both sides and a commercial Zirfon separator (500 um) for 9 continuous days. No major changes were observed after 9 cycles.
Wind-speed variation data over 100 hours was likewise converted into a current-density schedule spanning 0 to 0.78 A/cm2 and applied to the same cell. After 100 hours, the linear-sweep polarization curve recorded before the run and the curve recorded after the run differ by only 20 mV at 0.5 A/cm2.
- 9 continuous days of solar-derived cycling, peaks ~570 mA/cm2
- 100 hours of wind-derived cycling, 0 to 0.78 A/cm2
- DeltaV after wind cycling: 20 mV at 0.5 A/cm2
- Linear-sweep polarization curves overlap before and after
1000-hour stability under steady industrial load
In addition to dynamic-load runs, a continuous 1000-hour chronopotentiometry was performed at 0.5 A/cm2 and 40 deg C in 30 wt% KOH using our bifunctional NiCo electrode on both sides and a commercial Zirfon separator (500 um). The cell voltage drifted by just 21 uV/hr over the full 1000 hours. Before/after linear-sweep curves differ by 30 mV at 0.5 A/cm2.
For green hydrogen project developers and financiers, this gives a measured stability baseline rather than a model. The same bifunctional NiCo electrode that survives 1000 hours of steady operation is the one that survives 9 days of solar cycling and 100 hours of wind transients.
PV-derived current profile
9 DAYSWind-derived current profile
100 HRScaling from bench to pilot
Our bifunctional NiCo electrode is produced on Ni foam in the 100 to 1000 cm2 size range. Bench-scale evaluation typically begins at 5 cm2 (matching the size used in the published test cell) and scales up to pilot-scale electrodes as the project moves through qualification.
For green hydrogen developers building 1 MW and 5 MW pilot stacks, the same electrode product line supports both the bench reproduction step and the pilot deployment. We also offer IONZERA, our own next-generation separator membrane, as a sibling product for stacks looking to upgrade beyond the commercial Zirfon used in the published cell.
Explore more
SPECS
APPLICATIONS
COMPANION PRODUCT
Frequently asked questions
Why use a bifunctional NiCo electrode for green hydrogen production?
Our bifunctional NiCo 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). For green hydrogen production, using a single electrode SKU on both sides simplifies stack BOM and qualification.
What cell-level performance is published?
In a 5 cm² AEM cell with 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.
What is the stability baseline?
Continuous 1000-hour chronopotentiometry at 0.5 A/cm² and 40 °C in 30 wt% KOH (bifunctional NiCo electrode on both sides, commercial Zirfon separator) showed voltage drift of 21 µV/hr. Before/after linear-sweep polarization curves differ by 30 mV at the operating point.
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 ship?
The bifunctional NiCo electrode is produced on Ni foam in the 100 to 1000 cm² size range. Bench-scale 5 cm² coupons matching the published test cell are also available so customers can reproduce numbers on their own rig before scaling up.
Ready to Evaluate IONZERA?
Request a sample to test IONZERA in your application. Our engineering team will support you through qualification and integration.
Request Electrode Sample