System and method for converting chemical energy into electrical energy using nano-engineered porous network materials

• US 10,573,913 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2016
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: QuSwami, Inc
• Original Assignee: QuSwami, Inc
• Inventors: Gidwani, Jawahar, Hazeghi, Arash, Lam, Andrew, Horvath, Attila
• Primary Examiner(s): Harris, Gary D
• Application Number:
  US15/130,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20160248098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• Field of Search: 429479
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 14/00 Electrochemical current or voltage generators not provided for in groups H01M6/00 - H01M12/00; Manufacture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8605 Porous electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8626 characterised by the form
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8647 consisting of more than one material, e.g. consisting of composites
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8652 as mixture
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8657 layered
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/9025 Oxides specially used in fuel cell operating at high temperature, e.g. SOFC
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/92 Metals of platinum group H01M4/94 , H01M4/9058 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/925 supported on carriers, e.g. powder carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/10 Fuel cells with solid electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1004 characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] H01M8/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/22 Fuel cells in which the fuel is based on materials comprising carbon or oxygen or hydrogen and other elements; Fuel cells in which the fuel is based on materials comprising only elements other than carbon, oxygen or hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/225 Fuel cells in which the fuel is based on materials comprising particulate active material in the form of a suspension, a dispersion, a fluidised bed or a paste
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

An energy conversion device for conversion of chemical energy into electricity. The energy conversion device has a first and second electrode. A substrate is present that has a porous semiconductor or dielectric layer placed thereover. The porous semiconductor or dielectric layer can be a nano-engineered structure. A porous catalyst material is placed on at least a portion of the porous semiconductor or dielectric layer such that at least some of the porous catalyst material enters the nano-engineered structure of the porous semiconductor or dielectric layer, thereby forming an intertwining region.

Claims

1. An energy conversion device for conversion of chemical energy into electricity, comprising:

a first electrode;

a substrate connected to said first electrode;

a porous semiconductor layer disposed over said substrate, said porous semiconductor layer having a nano-engineered structure;

a porous catalyst material on at least a portion of said porous semiconductor layer that contacts a fuel and an oxidizer, wherein at least some of the porous catalyst material enters the nano-engineered structure of the porous semiconductor layer to form an intertwining region, the porous catalyst material and the porous semiconductor layer forming solid-state junctions, wherein the solid-state junctions are p-n junctions; and

a second electrode, wherein electrons from the porous catalyst material are injected into the porous semiconductor layer, and wherein an electrical potential is formed between the first electrode and a second electrode during chemical reactions between the fuel and oxidizer in contact with the porous catalyst material.

2. The energy conversion device of claim 1, wherein the substrate is patterned to create a three-dimensional surface, thereby providing increased surface area for chemical reactions.

3. The energy conversion device of claim 2, wherein the substrate is patterned such that nano-wires are formed.

4. The energy conversion device of claim 2, wherein the substrate is textured such that peaks and valleys are formed.

5. The energy conversion device of claim 1, further comprising a non-porous semiconductor layer is in between the substrate and the porous semiconductor layer.

6. The energy conversion device of claim 1, wherein the porous catalyst layer is formed with nano-particles.

7. The energy conversion device of claim 1 wherein the porous catalyst layer is formed with nano-clusters.

8. The energy conversion device of claim 1, wherein the porous catalyst layer is formed with nano-wires.

9. The energy conversion device of claim 1, wherein the porous semiconductor layer is formed with nano-particles.

10. The energy conversion device of claim 1 wherein the porous semiconductor layer is formed with nano-clusters.

11. The energy conversion device of claim 1, wherein the porous semiconductor layer is formed with nano-wires.

12. The energy conversion device of claim 1, wherein the porous semiconductor layer is a porous nano-engineered structure with percolating networks.

13. The energy conversion device of claim 1, wherein the porous semiconductor layer comprises a dielectric.

14. The energy conversion device of claim 13, wherein the dielectric is a porous nano-engineered structure with percolating networks.

15. The energy conversion device of claim 13, wherein the dielectric is formed with nano-particles.

16. The energy conversion device of claim 13 wherein the dielectric is formed with nano-clusters.

17. The energy conversion device of claim 13, wherein the dielectric is formed with the nano-wires.

18. The energy conversion device of claim 1, where the nanowire array or nano-engineered porous networks/layers are chosen from a group including rutile TiO2, anatase TiO2, poly-crystalline TiO₂ porous TiO2, ZrO2, SrTiO₃, BaTiO3, Sr_x-Ba_y-TiO_z, LiNiO, silicon, SiC, GaN, GaAs, Ge, silica, carbon, oxides of niobium, tantalum, zirconium, cerium, tin, vanadium, and LaSrVO₃, and certain organic semiconductors, such as PTCDA, or 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylicacid-dianhydride.

37. The energy conversation device of claim 1, wherein the fuel and the oxidizer comprise a monopropellant.

19. An energy conversion device for conversion of chemical energy into electricity, comprising:

a first electrode;

a substrate connected to said first electrode;

a porous semiconductor layer disposed over said substrate, said porous semiconductor layer having a nano-engineered structure;

a porous catalyst material on at least a portion of said porous semiconductor layer, wherein at least some of the porous catalyst material enters the nano-engineered structure of the porous semiconductor layer to form an intertwining region, the porous catalyst material and the porous semiconductor layer forming solid-state junctions, wherein the solid-state junctions are conductor-dielectric-conductor junctions; and

a second electrode, wherein electrons from the porous catalyst material are injected into the porous semiconductor layer, and wherein an electrical potential is formed between the first electrode and a second electrode during chemical reactions between a fuel, the porous catalyst material and the porous semiconductor network.

20. The energy conversion device of claim 19, wherein the substrate is patterned to create a three-dimensional surface, thereby providing increased surface area for chemical reactions.

21. The energy conversion device of claim 20, wherein the substrate is patterned such that nano-wires are formed.

22. The energy conversion device of claim 20, wherein the substrate is textured such that peaks and valleys are formed.

23. The energy conversion device of claim 19, further comprising a non-porous semiconductor layer is in between the substrate and the porous semiconductor layer.

24. The energy conversion device of claim 19, wherein the porous catalyst layer is formed with nano-particles.

25. The energy conversion device of claim 19 wherein the porous catalyst layer is formed with nano-clusters.

26. The energy conversion device of claim 19, wherein the porous catalyst layer is formed with nano-wires.

27. The energy conversion device of claim 19, wherein the porous semiconductor layer is formed with nano-particles.

28. The energy conversion device of claim 19 wherein the porous semiconductor layer is formed with nano-clusters.

29. The energy conversion device of claim 19, wherein the porous semiconductor layer is formed with nano-wires.

30. The energy conversion device of claim 19, wherein the porous semiconductor layer is a porous nano-engineered structure with percolating networks.

31. The energy conversion device of claim 19, wherein the porous semiconductor layer comprises a dielectric.

32. The energy conversion device of claim 31, wherein the dielectric is a porous nano-engineered structure with percolating networks.

33. The energy conversion device of claim 31, wherein the dielectric is formed with nano-particles.

34. The energy conversion device of claim 31 wherein the dielectric is formed with nano-clusters.

35. The energy conversion device of claim 31, wherein the dielectric is formed with the nano-wires.

36. The energy conversion device of claim 19, where the nanowire array or nano-engineered porous networks/layers are chosen from a group including rutile TiO2, anatase TiO2, poly-crystalline TiO₂ porous TiO2, ZrO2, SrTiO₃, BaTiO3, Sr_x-Ba_y-TiO_z, LiNiO, silicon, SiC, GaN, GaAs, Ge, silica, carbon, oxides of niobium, tantalum, zirconium, cerium, tin, vanadium, and LaSrVO₃, and certain organic semiconductors, such as PTCDA, or 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylicacid-dianhydride.