NON-AQUEOUS AIR BATTERY AND CATALYST THEREFOR

• US 20080299456A1
• Filed: 05/30/2008
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakano, Hideyuki, Shiga, Tohru, Imagawa, Haruo
• Granted Patent: US 7,887,957 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/212
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 12/08 composed of a half-cell of a fuel-cell type and a half-cell of the secondary-cell type
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/624 Electric conductive fillers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/625 Carbon or graphite
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/86 Inert electrodes with catalytic activity, e.g. for fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/90 Selection of catalytic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/96 Carbon-based electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A non-aqueous air battery of the present invention includes a negative electrode for which a material which absorbs and releases lithium ions is used as a negative electrode active material, a positive electrode for which oxygen is used as a positive electrode active material, and a non-aqueous electrolyte disposed between the negative electrode and the positive electrode. The positive electrode contains a donor-acceptor molecule in which an electron-donating donor (D) having a porphyrin ring is connected to an electron-accepting acceptor (A) composed of a fullerene derivative, with a conductive spacer therebetween. An example of the donor-acceptor molecule is triphenylporphyrinyl bithienyl N-methylpyrrolidino[60]fullerene.

Claims

1. A non-aqueous air battery comprising:

a negative electrode for which a material which absorbs and releases lithium ions is used as a negative electrode active material;

a positive electrode for which oxygen is used as a positive electrode active material; and

a non-aqueous electrolyte disposed between the negative electrode and the positive electrode,

wherein the positive electrode contains a donor-acceptor molecule in which an electron-donating donor (D) having a porphyrin ring is connected to an electron-accepting acceptor (A) composed of a fullerene derivative, with a conductive spacer therebetween.

2. The non-aqueous air battery according to claim 1,

wherein, in the donor-acceptor molecule, the fullerene derivative constituting the acceptor (A) is a fullerene derivative in which at least one of a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic ring and a hydrocarbon ring is fused to a fullerene skeleton of C₆₀, C₇₀, C₇₄, C₇₆, C₇₈, C₈₀, C₈₂, C₈₄, C₉₀, or C₉₆, and the spacer is composed of a plurality of thiophene rings bonded to each other and connects the nitrogen-containing heterocyclic ring or the hydrocarbon ring to the donor (D).

3. The non-aqueous air battery according to claim 2,

wherein, in the donor-acceptor molecule, the fullerene derivative constituting the acceptor (A) is a fullerene derivative in which a pyrrolidine ring is fused to a fullerene skeleton of C₆₀, C₇₀, C₇₄, C₇₆, C₇₈, C₈₀, C₈₂, C₈₄, C₉₀, or C₉₆, and the spacer is composed of a plurality of thiophene rings bonded to each other and connects the pyrrolidine ring to the donor (D).

4. The non-aqueous air battery according to claim 1,

wherein the positive electrode contains the donor-acceptor molecule and nickel.

5. A catalyst for a non-aqueous air battery which is capable of accelerating a reductive reaction and which is added to a positive electrode of the non-aqueous air battery, the catalyst comprising:

a donor-acceptor molecule in which an electron-donating donor (D) having a porphyrin ring is connected to an electron-accepting acceptor (A) composed of a fullerene derivative, with a conductive spacer therebetween.

6. The catalyst for a non-aqueous air battery according to claim 5,

wherein, in the donor-acceptor molecule, the fullerene derivative constituting the acceptor (A) is a fullerene derivative in which at least one of a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic ring and a hydrocarbon ring is fused to a fullerene skeleton of C₆₀, C₇₀, C₇₄, C₇₆, C₇₈, C₈₀, C₈₂, C₈₄, C₉₀, or C₉₆, and the spacer is composed of a plurality of thiophene rings bonded to each other and connects the nitrogen-containing heterocyclic ring or the hydrocarbon ring to the donor (D).

7. The catalyst for a non-aqueous air battery according to claim 6,

wherein, in the donor-acceptor molecule, the fullerene derivative constituting the acceptor (A) is a fullerene derivative in which a pyrrolidine ring is fused to a fullerene skeleton of C₆₀, C₇₀, C₇₄, C₇₆, C₇₈, C₈₀, C₈₂, C₈₄, C₉₀, or C₉₆, and the spacer is composed of a plurality of thiophene rings bonded to each other and connects the pyrrolidine ring to the donor (D).