Beyond Platinum: Materials for Next-Generation Electrolysis
Eliminating exotic material dependencies
Abstract
Current PEM electrolyzers rely heavily on platinum group metals (PGMs) for catalysis, creating cost barriers and supply chain vulnerabilities. This paper describes Tobe Energy's approach to achieving high-performance electrolysis using only abundant, industrial-grade materials.
The PGM Problem
Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyzers have emerged as the leading technology for green hydrogen production due to their high efficiency and ability to operate with variable renewable inputs. However, they require platinum for the hydrogen evolution reaction and iridium for oxygen evolution.
Global iridium production is approximately 7 tonnes per year, while scaling electrolysis to meet climate goals would require 10-100x current production. This fundamental constraint limits PEM scalability regardless of manufacturing improvements.
Alternative Approaches
Researchers have pursued several strategies to reduce or eliminate PGM requirements:
- •Alkaline electrolysis: Uses nickel-based catalysts but suffers from lower
- •efficiency and slower response times.
- •Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM): Combines benefits of PEM and alkaline but
- •faces durability challenges.
- •High-temperature solid oxide: Achieves high efficiency but requires
- •expensive ceramics and has slow startup times.
Each approach involves tradeoffs between efficiency, cost, durability, and operational flexibility.
Our Solution
Tobe Energy's isothermal process enables a fundamentally different materials approach. By operating at the thermodynamic minimum, we reduce the demands placed on electrode materials, allowing us to use standard nickel alloys where competitors require platinum.
Our proprietary membrane technology [DETAILS REDACTED] provides the ionic conductivity of PEM systems without the corrosive environment that necessitates noble metal catalysts.
The result: industrial-grade materials achieving PEM-equivalent performance.
Supply Chain Implications
By eliminating PGM requirements, Tobe Energy's technology enables:
- •Domestic manufacturing: All materials available from US suppliers
- •Unlimited scalability: No rare material constraints on deployment
- •Cost reduction: Material costs reduced by 60%+ vs. PEM systems
- •Supply security: No dependence on foreign sources for critical materials
This represents a fundamental shift from "how do we source enough platinum?" to "where do we want to build factories?"
References
- [1]Minke, C., et al. "Is iridium demand a potential bottleneck in the realization of large-scale PEM water electrolysis?" International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 46.46 (2021): 23581-23590.
- [2]Hughes, J.P., et al. "Polymer electrolyte electrolysis: A review of the activity and stability of non-precious metal hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction catalysts." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 139 (2021): 110709.