Meso-porous carbon and hybrid electrodes and method for producing the same

• US 20030108785A1
• Filed: 12/10/2001
• Published: 06/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: L. W. Wu, Wen-Chiang Huang
• Original Assignee: L. W. Wu, Wen-Chiang Huang
• Inventors: Huang, Wen-Chiang, Wu, L. W.
• Application Number:
  US10/006,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20030108785A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/44
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/26 characterised by their structure, e.g. multi-layered, porosity or surface features
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/32 Carbon-based
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/34 characterised by carbonisation or activation of carbon
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/86 specially adapted for electrodes carbonisation or activation of carbon for the manufacture of electrodes H01G11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2004/021 Physical characteristics, e.g. porosity, surface area
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/1393 of electrodes based on carbonaceous material, e.g. graphite-intercalation compounds or CFx
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/366 as layered products
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8605 Porous electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8828 Coating with slurry or ink
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8882 Heat treatment, e.g. drying, baking
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/96 Carbon-based electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/13 Energy storage using capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A porous carbon-based electrode and a method for producing such an electrode according to a predetermined, two-dimensional or three-dimensional porous template. The method includes the steps of: (A) preparing a porous template by taking the sub-steps of (i) dissolving a first material in a volatile solvent to form an evaporative solution, (ii) depositing a thin film or lamina of this solution onto a substrate, and (iii) exposing this solution film to a moisture environment while allowing the solvent of the solution to evaporate for forming the template, which is a lamina constituted of an ordered array of micrometer- or nanometer-scaled air bubbles being surrounded with walls made of the first material; and (B) operating material treatment means to convert the first material into a carbonaceous material by which meso-scaled pores are also produced in the bubble walls. The resulting porous carbon electrode can be used in a device such as a fuel cell, ultracapacitor, electrochemical cell, battery, and electrochemical sensor.

Claims

1. A method for producing a porous carbon electrode according to a predetermined, two-dimensional or three-dimensional porous template, the method comprising the steps of:

(A) preparing said porous template, wherein said preparation step comprises the sub-steps of (i) dissolving a first material in a volatile solvent to form an evaporative solution, (ii) depositing a thin film or lamina of said solution onto a substrate, and (iii) exposing said solution film to a moisture environment while allowing the solvent of said solution to evaporate for forming said template which is a lamina constituted of an ordered array of micrometer- or nanometer-scaled air bubbles which are surrounded with walls made of said first material; and

(B) operating material treatment means to convert said first material into a carbonaceous material and to generate meso-scaled pores in said walls to produce said porous carbon electrode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (B) comprises a sub-step of partially or fully carbonizing said first material by heat.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (B) comprises sub-steps of (B-i) removing a portion of said first material via chemical etching or dissolution and (B-ii) partially or fully carbonizing said first material by heat.

4. The method of claim 1, further including a step of impregnating or coating said bubbles and/or meso-scaled pores in said bubble walls with a second material to form a carbon hybrid electrode.

7. The method of claim 1, 4, or 5 wherein sub-step (A-iii) is performed by directing a moisture-containing gas to flow over said solution film while allowing the solvent of said solution to evaporate for forming said porous template.

8. The method of claim 1, 4, or 5 wherein said first material is selected from the group consisting of a polymer, oligomer, and non-polymeric organic material.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said polymer is selected from the group consisting of a thermoplastic resin, a thermoset resin, or a combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 4 wherein said second material is an electronically conductive material selected from the group consisting of a polymer, a non-polymeric organic, a metal, an oxide, or a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 1 or 5 wherein said template is a two-dimensional lamina comprising one layer of air bubbles dispersed in said first material.

16. The method of claim 1 or 5 wherein said template is a three-dimensional template lamina comprising multiple layers of air bubbles dispersed in said first material.

17. An electrode material patterned according to a predetermined, two-dimensional or three-dimensional template, produced according to the method of claim 1 or 5.

18. The method of claim 1 or 5, wherein the sub-step (A-ii) of depositing a thin film of said solution onto a substrate comprises a sub-step of coating said substrate by spin-coating, spray-coating, or dip-coating.

19. The product of claim 1 or 5, used as an electrode in a device selected from the group consisting of a fuel cell, an ultracapacitor, an electrochemical cell, a battery, and an electrochemical sensor.

20. The method of claim 1 or 5, wherein sub-steps (A-ii) and (A-iii) are repeated a predetermined number of times to form a multi-lamina template, wherein a thin film of solution is deposited onto a preceding film after the solvent in the preceding film has been partially or completely evaporated to form a thick lamina.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the wall material in a lamina or a number of laminas is at least partially carbonized before a successive film solution is deposited.

22. The method of claim 1 or 5, further comprising a step of activating said carbonaceous material.

5. A method for producing a porous carbon electrode according to a predetermined, two-dimensional or three-dimensional porous template, the method comprising the steps of:

(A) preparing said porous template, wherein said preparation step comprises the sub-steps of (i) dissolving a first material in a volatile solvent to form an evaporative solution, (ii) depositing a thin film or lamina of said solution onto a substrate, and (iii) exposing said solution film to a moisture environment while allowing the solvent of said solution to evaporate for forming said template which is a lamina constituted of an ordered array of micrometer- or nanometer-scaled air bubbles which are surrounded with walls made of said first material;

(B) impregnating said air bubbles with a second material so that the bubble walls are coated with said second material; and

(C) operating material treatment means to convert said first and/or second material into a carbonaceous material and to generate meso-scaled pores in said walls to produce said porous carbon electrode.

6. The method of claim 5, further including a step of impregnating or coating said air bubbles and/or meso-scaled pores in said walls with a third material to form a carbon hybrid electrode.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein said second material is selected from the group consisting of a thermoplastic, a thermoset resin, a petroleum pitch, a coal tar pitch, or a combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein step (C) comprises a sub-step of partially or fully carbonizing said first and/or second material by heat.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein step (C) comprises sub-steps of removing a portion of said first and/or second material via chemical etching or dissolution, and of partially or fully carbonizing said first and/or second material by heat.

14. The method of claim 6 wherein said third material is an electronically conductive material selected from the group consisting of a polymer, a non-polymeric organic, a metal, an oxide, or a combination thereof.