CASE STUDY: Accelerating Electrocatalyst Innovation with PureGRAPH®

Case Study: Accelerating Electrocatalyst Innovation with PureGRAPH®

Client

First Graphene Limited
An advanced materials pioneer, First Graphene Limited is focused on developing and commercialising graphene-based technologies. Their proprietary product, PureGRAPH®, is a high-performance form of graphene celebrated for its exceptional strength, electrical conductivity, and versatility.

Challenge

First Graphene initially demonstrated promising results by incorporating their graphene material into slurry formulations aimed at oxygen evolution reaction (OER) applications—critical for electrochemical systems like water splitting and fuel cells.

However, the next step required a systematic approach to optimise OER performance. Specifically, First Graphene needed to:

  • Explore a variety of transition metal oxide-graphene compositions.

  • Formulate and screen these materials for electrochemical performance.

  • Identify and scale the most effective candidate for commercial applications.

 

Solution

First Graphene partnered with CPI, a deep-tech innovation catalyst, to advance their research and development program. CPI supported by:

  • Formulating multiple dry catalyst powders into slurry-based coatings.

  • Ensuring uniform material deposition and density on selected substrates for performance testing.

  • Collaborating with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) for robust electrochemical testing and benchmarking.

This collaborative effort enabled a structured, iterative evaluation process to pinpoint the highest-performing material.

 

Impact

The project led to a significant breakthrough:
First Graphene successfully identified and screened a top-performing transition metal oxide-graphene composition.

This formulation was scaled up to manufacture a full-size electrode, ready for industry application.

Electrochemical durability and stability testing by NPL confirmed the competitive performance of First Graphene’s solution against leading materials currently in use for OER.

By advancing their R&D capabilities through strategic partnerships, First Graphene has taken a crucial step toward commercial viability and market leadership in advanced energy materials.