PHARMA H2
PHARMA H2Our NiCo Electrode for Pharma Hydrogenation
Pharmaceutical and fine-chemical manufacturing uses hydrogen for selective hydrogenation. Our bifunctional NiCo electrode supplies the hydrogen side at 91.4% energy efficiency at 0.5 A/cm2 in an AEM cell with a commercial Zirfon separator.
Polarization (RT vs 60 °C)
TESTBEDBatch-friendly supply
Pharmaceutical operations run as batches. Bifunctional NiCo and commercial Zirfon in an AEM cell support both continuous and batch demand patterns.
Cell-level efficiency
0.5 A/cm2 at 1.62 V at 60 deg C (91.4%). Bifunctional NiCo electrode on both sides, commercial Zirfon separator.
Bifunctional electrode
80 mV HER and 260 mV OER overpotential at 100 mA/cm2 (no IR correction). Same coated electrode on both sides.
Documented stability
1000 hours at 0.5 A/cm2 / 40 deg C: 21 uV/hr drift. Useful for documentation in GMP qualification.
Hydrogen for pharma synthesis
Pharmaceutical and fine-chemical processes use hydrogen for catalytic hydrogenation of intermediates. Hydrogen is typically supplied as a compressed gas or generated on-site. On-site water electrolysis is one option, particularly when the facility wants to control supply chain and reduce cylinder logistics.
Our bifunctional NiCo electrode on Ni foam (100 to 1000 cm2), electroless-deposited, supplies the electrochemical hydrogen. The same coated electrode acts as HER cathode and OER anode at 80 mV and 260 mV overpotential at 100 mA/cm2 in 30 wt% KOH (no IR correction).
Cell-level numbers
In a 5 cm2 AEM cell with bifunctional NiCo electrode on both sides and a commercial Zirfon separator (500 um), 0.5 A/cm2 at 1.62 V at 60 deg C (91.4% efficiency). At 1.0 A/cm2: 1.79 V at 60 deg C.
Documentation for qualification
GMP qualification of new utility systems requires documented performance data. The published 1000-hour run on bifunctional NiCo + commercial Zirfon (21 uV/hr drift at 0.5 A/cm2 / 40 deg C / 30 wt% KOH) provides traceable bench-scale data. Pilot-scale qualification at 100 to 1000 cm2 follows.
Hydrogen quality downstream
Pharmaceutical-grade hydrogen typically requires downstream purification. The bifunctional NiCo electrode handles the electrochemical conversion; downstream drying and deoxygenation are part of a separate utility system.
PV-derived current profile
9 DAYSWind-derived current profile
100 HRFrequently asked questions
Why use a bifunctional NiCo electrode for pharmaceutical hydrogenation?
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 pharmaceutical hydrogenation, 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