A new electrochemical water splitting catalyst formulated by researchers at Australia’s Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is based on widely available and inexpensive ingredients. The bifunctional catalyst yields hydrogen The catalyst material produces hydrogen cheaply without fossil fuels. Source: QUT/ Ummul Sultanaunder alkaline conditions without attendant pollutant emissions, and can be powered by renewable energy sources.

The composite is based on electrodeposited nickel hydroxide and cobalt hydroxide containing highly distributed gold nanoparticles at less than 0.25 atomic percent. Gold is deposited on a layer of electrodeposited cobalt hydroxide by galvanic replacement reactions, after which nickel hydroxide is electrodeposited.

The new catalyst was observed to exceed the activity of expensive platinum for the hydrogen evolution reaction at current densities higher than 40 mA/cm². The material proved stable for this reaction and for the oxygen evolution phase for prolonged test times.