MIT electrolyte and process

I have been thinking about this some more and and wondering if anybody has done any more research. It sounds to me like the process is probably simple.

Breaking it down....

1st part - "The key component in Nocera and Kanan's new process is a new catalyst that produces oxygen gas from water; "

2nd part - "another catalyst produces valuable hydrogen gas. "

"The new catalyst consists of cobalt metal, phosphate and an electrode, placed in water. When electricity whether from a photovoltaic cell, a wind turbine or any other source runs through the electrode, the cobalt and phosphate form a thin film on the electrode, and oxygen gas is produced."

From another article....
"MIT's patented formulation of cobalt phosphate was dissolved in water"

So it sounds like they have come up with some sort of water soluble form of cobalt phosphate to make this work.
It sounds like one of the key ingredients.

"Combined with another catalyst, such as platinum, "

Are they talking a platinum catalyst or a platinum Anode.

So from the above description this sounds somewhat like using the cobalt phosphate electrolyte with some unknown cathode that basically gets plated in the process with the cobalt phosphate solution and produces oxogen

and in the same electrolyte a platinum anode makes hydrogen.

To me this is starting to sound like a rig similar to the old high school experiment with 2 upsidedown test tubes, one with a negative terminal, one with a positive terminal. Electrolysis of water where the mystery +V Cathode produces O and the -V Anode produces H.

Since each individual cathode is resposible for only releasing one type of gas IE either H or O, the process is probably straight DC, IE no PWM.

I guess it could be PWM'd if they were doing a plating, strip, plating process, where the stripping cycle did not produce gas but only stripped the cobalt phosphate off the Cathode.

In that condition I assuem that platinum was used maybe because using it as a cathode in the + cycle cobalt plating would not adhere ??
I dont know much about metal plating so....

Also since they have it running on a solar panel the amp draw must be low.

It is more likely it is some sealed array of of plates rather than the simple electrolysis setup, but who knows

Now if we could only....

Find the proper combination of cobalt and phospate and how to make it water soluble we would be 90% there and ready to experiment.

That said now I am wondering if this might be as simple as a cobalt plating solution of some sort mixed with phosphate in some unknown quantity.
Sounds nasty though.

What is the mystery Cathode. Well if its being plated with cobalt phosphate I doubt it would matter so much and you would want it highly conductive ??? Possibly copper ?? Then again maybe more of an inert metal ??

I would assume the Anode is platinum just fromt he way it is written above.

Wish I had an insider at MIT and about 50G to throw at this.

i've been looking at this also with great intrest. you've got a good handel on it . it seams the cobalt phospate based eletroyite is completely water soluble and forms a conductive film on the anode protecting it once current is applied. I believe they're using a platinum anode for the hydrogen because its the best material available. the cathode is pallium I think? electrolysis is very hard on the cathodes, even platinum will break down eventually but with this process it allows less expensive material to be used with vertually no wear on the oxegen producing cathode.