Iridium/Carbon (Ir/C, Premetek) as Electrocatalysts for Electrolyzer and Fuel Cell, 0.5 g/bottle, CEFCEIrC
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Iridium on Carbon (Ir/C) is a specialized catalyst primarily used in energy storage and high-durability applications. While Platinum (Pt/C) is the king of efficiency for hydrogen reactions, Iridium is the champion of stability and oxygen chemistry, making it indispensable for systems that must survive high oxidative voltages.
In a PEM Water Electrolyzer (PEMWE), Ir/C is a critical material, though it is used differently than Pt/C. (1) Cathode (Hydrogen Evolution Reaction - HER): Ir/C can be used for the HER, where it offers performance nearly as good as Pt/C. It is sometimes preferred in research to study the durability of noble metals other than platinum. (2) Anode (Oxygen Evolution Reaction - OER): Metallic Ir/C is rarely the primary catalyst here. At the high potentials of the electrolyzer anode (>1.5V), metallic Iridium quickly oxidizes into Iridium Oxide (IrOx). However, metallic Ir/C is often used as a starting material or a conductive additive. Once it oxidizes, it becomes the industry standard for OER because it is the only material that is both highly active and stable enough to survive the acidic, oxidative environment of a PEM electrolyzer.
In standard fuel cells, Ir/C is rarely the main catalyst but serves a vital "life-saving" function. (1) Anode Co-Catalyst (Reversal Mitigation): If a fuel cell runs out of hydrogen (a "fuel starvation" event), the anode potential can spike dangerously high. This causes the carbon support to burn away, destroying the cell. Ir/C is added to the anode as a "safety" catalyst. Because Iridium is excellent at the OER, it allows the cell to split water to provide electrons during starvation, preventing the destructive carbon corrosion. (2) Cathode (ORR): Ir/C is significantly less active than Pt/C for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction. However, it is used in Bifunctional Oxygen Electrodes (like in Regenerative Fuel Cells) where the electrode must switch between reducing oxygen (fuel cell mode) and evolving oxygen (electrolyzer mode).
| Part Number |
CEFCEIrC5 |
CEFCEIrC10 |
CEFCEIrC20 |
CEFCEIrC40 |
CEFCEIrCKB40 |
| Iridium/Carbon Content |
5 wt% Ir, 95 wt% carbon black (Vulcan XC-72) |
10 wt% Ir, 90 wt% carbon black (Vulcan XC-72) |
20 wt% Ir, 80 wt% carbon black (Vulcan XC-72) |
40 wt% Ir, 60 wt% carbon black (Vulcan XC-72) |
40 wt% Ir, 60 wt% carbon black (Ketjen Black) |
| Metal Surface Area |
~150 m2/g |
~100 m2/g |
~80 m2/g |
~60 m2/g |
~60 m2/g |
| Catalyst BET Surface Area: |
~235 m2/g |
~225 m2/g |
~200 m2/g |
~150 m2/g |
~480 m2/g |
| Metal Crystallite Size |
1-2 nm |
2-4 nm |
2-4 nm |
4-6 mm |
4-6 nm |
| Catalyst granule size D(100) |
≤ 75 µm |
≤ 75 µm |
≤ 75 µm |
≤ 75 µm |
≤ 75 µm |
| Impurities |
≤ 500 ppm |
≤ 500 ppm |
≤ 500 ppm |
≤ 500 ppm |
≤ 500 ppm |
| Package Size | 0.5 g/bottle | 0.5 g/bottle | 0.5 g/bottle | 0.5 g/bottle | 0.5 g/bottle |
Notes: Please try to store the Ir/C powder in a dry place.
References:
- W. H. Lee, et al. High crystallinity design of Ir-based catalysts drives catalytic reversibility for water electrolysis and fuel cells, Nature Communications, 2021, 12, 4271.
- Y. Yang, et al. Advanced Ir-Based Alloy Electrocatalysts for Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzers, Small, 2025, 21, 2410372.