ELECTRODE COMPARISON
INFORMATIONALOur NiCo Electrode and Pt/Ir Electrocatalysts
A factual side-by-side: what our bifunctional NiCo electrode is, and what platinum-group-metal Pt/Ir catalysts are. No fabricated competitor numbers; this is an educational reference for stack designers comparing catalyst families.
Our electrode polarization
TESTBEDOur electrode in numbers
HER overpotential
@ 100 mA/cm² (no IR)
OER overpotential
@ 100 mA/cm² (no IR)
Cell @ 0.5 A/cm², 60 °C
91.4% efficiency
1000-hour drift
@ 0.5 A/cm² / 40 °C
All measured in a 5 cm² AEM cell, 30 wt% KOH, zero-gap, commercial Zirfon separator (500 µm).
Side-by-side: our electrode and Pt/Ir Electrocatalysts
Factual differentiation only. No fabricated numeric claims about alternatives; consult their vendor data for performance comparison.
| Parameter | Our electrode | Pt/Ir Electrocatalysts | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active metals | Bi-metallic NiCo (transition metals) | Pt, Ir, Ru (platinum-group metals) | Different catalyst families |
| Substrate | Ni foam (100-1000 cm2) | Varies (Ti mesh, carbon paper, Ni foam) | Substrate is design-dependent |
| Deposition | Electroless | Varies (electrodeposition, sputter, ink-coating) | Different process families |
| Half-reaction coverage | Bifunctional (HER + OER on same electrode) | Often split: Pt-based for HER, Ir/Ru for OER | Different stack architecture |
| HER overpotential at 100 mA/cm2 (this product) | 80 mV (no IR correction) | Varies by formulation | See vendor data for alternatives |
| OER overpotential at 100 mA/cm2 (this product) | 260 mV (no IR correction) | Varies by formulation | See vendor data for alternatives |
What our bifunctional NiCo electrode is
Our electrode is a bi-metallic NiCo catalyst deposited on Ni foam (100 to 1000 cm2) by electroless deposition. Both nickel and cobalt are transition metals from the first row of the d-block. The same coated electrode operates as both HER cathode and OER anode in the published 5 cm2 AEM test cell at 100 mA/cm2 in 30 wt% KOH, delivering 80 mV HER overpotential and 260 mV OER overpotential without IR correction.
At cell level, a zero-gap AEM cell with our bifunctional NiCo electrode on both sides and a commercial Zirfon separator (500 um) reaches 0.5 A/cm2 at 1.62 V at 60 deg C (91.4% energy efficiency).
What platinum-group-metal (PGM) electrocatalysts are
Platinum-group metals (Pt, Ir, Ru, Pd, Rh, Os) are a family of six chemically related metals sourced primarily from a small number of geographies. In electrolyzer cells, Pt-based catalysts are commonly used for the hydrogen evolution reaction and Ir or Ru oxides for the oxygen evolution reaction. PGM catalysts are well-studied and widely available in commercial electrolyzer designs, particularly proton-exchange-membrane (PEM) systems.
A PGM-catalyst stack architecture typically uses different catalyst formulations on the cathode and anode sides, since each PGM is optimized for one half-reaction.
Structural differences
There are two structural differences a stack designer evaluating both families would see immediately:
First, catalyst-family composition: our electrode uses transition metals (Ni and Co); PGM catalysts use platinum-group metals (Pt, Ir, Ru). These are chemically different element groups with different supply chains, different cost structures, and different long-term availability dynamics.
Second, cell architecture: our electrode is bifunctional and the same coated layer was used on both cathode and anode in the test cell. PGM electrolyzer designs typically use different catalyst formulations on the two sides.
What this comparison does not claim
We do not publish numeric "ours beats them" claims against specific PGM catalyst products. Vendors of PGM catalysts publish their own performance data for their own products under their own test conditions; consult that data directly when comparing.
This page is an educational reference for stack designers evaluating two different catalyst families. The performance numbers cited on this page (80 mV HER, 260 mV OER, 1.62 V at 0.5 A/cm2 at 60 deg C) are for our bifunctional NiCo electrode in the published test conditions only.
When the bifunctional NiCo electrode is most relevant
For alkaline electrolyzer designs (AEM and AWE) where the operating-point conditions are 30 wt% KOH at zero-gap, our bifunctional NiCo electrode is a direct candidate. The 5 cm2 AEM test cell data and the 1000-hour stability run published on this site reflect those conditions.
For PEM electrolyzer designs, PGM catalysts are the established choice and a NiCo-on-Ni-foam electrode is not a direct drop-in.
Where this comparison matters
Applications where stack OEMs typically evaluate both options.
Key electrode specifications
Source-supported parameters of our electrode for this comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Is our electrode a drop-in replacement for Pt/Ir in PEM electrolyzers?
No. PEM electrolyzers operate in acidic environments where non-PGM catalysts typically dissolve, so Pt and Ir oxides are the established choice there. Our bifunctional NiCo electrode on Ni foam is designed for alkaline electrolyzers (AWE and AEM) operating in concentrated KOH.
Does this page claim our electrode performs better than Pt/Ir Electrocatalysts?
No. This page is informational. It states what our bifunctional NiCo electrode is and what the alternative is, using source-supported facts only. We do not publish numeric performance claims against specific alternative products. For alternative-product performance data, consult the vendor of that product directly.
What numbers are published for our electrode?
HER overpotential 80 mV and OER overpotential 260 mV at 100 mA/cm² in 30 wt% KOH, measured without IR correction. Cell-level performance with the bifunctional NiCo electrode on both sides and a commercial Zirfon separator (500 µm) in a 5 cm² AEM zero-gap cell: 0.5 A/cm² at 1.81 V at RT (82% efficiency) and 1.62 V at 60 °C (91.4%). 1000-hour stability at 21 µV/hr drift.
Can I run side-by-side bench tests in my own cell?
Yes. We supply 5 cm² coupons that match the size used in our published AEM test cell. Stack OEMs evaluating both options typically run side-by-side qualification on their own cell as the decision step. Bench-scale and pilot-scale electrodes (up to 1000 cm²) are both available.
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