ELECTRODE SPECIFICATION
CATALYSTBi-metallic NiCo Catalyst
Our active layer is a bi-metallic catalyst combining nickel and cobalt. Both are first-row transition metals. The catalyst is electroless-deposited onto Ni foam substrates from 100 to 1000 cm2.
ELECTRODE SPEC
CATALYST
This spec
CATALYST
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
What the catalyst is
The active layer of our electrode is a bi-metallic catalyst that combines nickel and cobalt. Both are transition metals from the first row of the periodic table's d-block. The catalyst is deposited onto a Ni-foam substrate by electroless deposition.
The combined NiCo system operates bifunctionally: the same coated layer serves as both the HER cathode and the OER anode. At 100 mA/cm2 in 30 wt% KOH, HER overpotential is 80 mV and OER overpotential is 260 mV, measured without IR correction.
HER
OER
Cell @ 0.5 A/cm2, 60 C
Catalyst behavior in a full cell
With the bi-metallic NiCo catalyst on both sides and a commercial Zirfon separator (500 um) in a 5 cm2 AEM test cell, the cell reaches 0.5 A/cm2 at 1.62 V at 60 deg C (91.4% energy efficiency) and 1.81 V at room temperature (82%). At 1.0 A/cm2, the same configuration measured 1.79 V at 60 deg C.
Catalyst durability
The catalyst was tested in a continuous 1000-hour chronopotentiometry run at 0.5 A/cm2 and 40 deg C in 30 wt% KOH. Cell voltage drifted by 21 uV/hr. Before/after linear-sweep polarization curves differ by 30 mV at the operating point.
Under PV-derived current schedules for 9 days and wind-derived schedules for 100 hours, the same catalyst held its operating envelope, with ΔV = 20 mV at 0.5 A/cm2 before/after the wind run.
Application context
A bi-metallic NiCo catalyst on Ni foam is a direct candidate for alkaline electrolyzers operating in 30 wt% KOH. It is not a drop-in for PEM electrolyzer designs, which use platinum-group catalysts in acid-membrane environments.
Where this specification matters
Industrial applications where nickel-cobalt bi-metallic catalyst is a primary qualification metric.
Frequently asked questions
How is nickel-cobalt bi-metallic catalyst measured?
All published values were measured in a 5 cm² AEM cell with our bifunctional NiCo electrode on both sides, 30 wt% KOH electrolyte, zero-gap assembly, and a commercial Zirfon separator (500 µm) as the membrane reference. Overpotentials are reported without IR correction.
Can I reproduce this number on my own cell?
Yes. Bench-scale 5 cm² coupons matching the size used in our published AEM test cell are available. Reproducing the cell conditions (30 wt% KOH, zero-gap, commercial Zirfon separator, bifunctional NiCo electrode on both sides) lets a customer team confirm the published number directly.
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 coupons and pilot-scale electrodes both ship from this same product line. Specific sizes can be discussed for OEM stack integration.
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