Carbon-Polymer Electrochemical Systems and Methods of Fabricating Them Using Layer-by-Layer Technology

• US 20090269491A1
• Filed: 04/30/2009
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Farhat, Tarek R., Hammond-Cunningham, Paula T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,075,951 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/246
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/02 characterised by their properties
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/12 Composite membranes; Ultra-thin membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/122 Separate manufacturing of ultra-thin membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/141 Heterogeneous membranes, e.g. containing dispersed material; Mixed matrix membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 71/281 Polystyrene
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 71/401 Polymers based on the polymerisation of acrylic acid, e.g. polyacrylate
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 71/601 Polyethylenimine
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 71/82 characterised by the presence of specified groups, e.g. introduced by chemical after-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 13/04 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8605 Porous electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/92 Metals of platinum group H01M4/94 , H01M4/9058 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/926 on carbon or graphite
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/414 Synthetic resins, e.g. thermoplastics or thermosetting resins
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/42 Acrylic resins
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/423 Polyamide resins
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/46 Separators, membranes or diaphragms characterised by their combination with electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/489 Separators, membranes, diaphragms or spacing elements inside the cells, characterised by their physical properties, e.g. swelling degree, hydrophilicity or shut down properties
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/497 Ionic conductivity
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1004 characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] H01M8/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1023 having only carbon, e.g. polyarylenes, polystyrenes or polybutadiene-styrenes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/103 : having nitrogen, e.g. sulfonated polybenzimidazoles [S-PBI], polybenzimidazoles with phosphoric acid, sulfonated polyamides [S-PA] or sulfonated polyphosphazenes [S-PPh]
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1039 : halogenated, e.g. sulfonated polyvinylidene fluorides
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1046 : Mixtures of at least one polymer and at least one additive
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1048 : Ion-conducting additives, e.g. ion-conducting particles, heteropolyacids, metal phosphate or polybenzimidazole with phosphoric acid
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1051 : Non-ion-conducting additives, e.g. stabilisers, SiO2 or ZrO2
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1053 : consisting of layers of polymers with at least one layer being ionically conductive
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 : Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 : Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31504 : Composite [nonstructural laminate]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31855 : Of addition polymer from unsaturated monomers

Abstract

One aspect of the invention provides ion-exchange and gas-diffusion membranes, fabricated by a layer-by-layer approach, for use, e.g., in electrochemical cells; a process for making membrane electrode assemblies fabricated using porous frameworks, LBL composite membranes and LBL carbon-Polymer electrodes; and the application of the membrane and electrode assemblies to a variety of devices, both electrochemical and otherwise.

Claims

1. A method of forming a membrane, comprising sequentially depositing, under pH controlled conditions, a plurality of layers on a surface;

wherein at least one layer in said plurality of layers comprises a colloid;

said colloid comprises metal or carbon;

said plurality of layers comprises a first layer and a second layer;

said first layer comprises a first polymer selected from the group consisting of PAH, PDAC, PDME, LPEI, and PANI; and

said second layer comprises a second polymer selected from the group consisting of PAA, PMA, SPS, PAMPS, OEGDA, PSSM3;

1, and PAA-co-PAAm;

thereby forming a membrane.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of removing said membrane from said surface.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said surface is organic, semi-metallic or metallic;

and wherein said colloid comprises carbon.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said first polymer is selected from the group consisting of PDAC, LPEI, and PANI.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said second polymer is selected from the group consisting of PAA, SPS, PAMPS, and PAA-co-PAAm.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein said first polymer is LPEI.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein said first polymer is PDAC.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein said second polymer is PAMPS.

35. The method of claim 1, wherein said second polymer is SPS.

39. The method of claim 1, wherein said second polymer is PAA.

41. The method of claims 1, wherein said second polymer is PAA-co-PAAm.

47. The method of claim 1, wherein the first polymer is LPEI;

and wherein the second polymer is PAA.

52. The method of claim 1, wherein the first polymer is PDAC;

and wherein the second polymer is PAMPS.

65. The method of claim 7, wherein said surface is selected from the group consisting of metal, carbon cloth, porous stainless steel, porous silicon, porous titanium alloys and gold.

66. The method of claim 7, wherein said carbon is selected from the group consisting of carbon powder, aqueous carbon paste, and Hispec3000 powder.

67. The method of claim 1, wherein said colloid comprises metal;

and said metal is selected from the group consisting of Pd, Pt, Au, Ru, Zn, Cu, Ag and Al.

95. The method of claim 1, wherein said colloid comprises metal;

and said metal is selected from the group consisting of Pt, Ru, and Ag.

96. The method of claim 1, wherein said first polymer is PANI.

97. The method of claim 1, wherein said first polymer is PANI;

and said second polymer is PAA.

98. The method of claim 1, wherein said first polymer is PANI;

and said second polymer is PAA-co-PAAm.

99. The method of claim 1, wherein said first polymer is PANI;

and said second polymer is SPS.

100. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of layers comprises a plurality of first layers and a plurality of second layers;

and said first layers are deposited in an alternating fashion with said second layers.

101. The method of claim 1, wherein said first layer or said second layer comprises a colloid;

and said colloid is made charged by said first polymer or said second polymer.

102. The method of claim 1, wherein said first layer comprises a colloid;

and said colloid is made charged by said first polymer.

103. The method of claim 1, wherein said second layer comprises a colloid;

and said colloid is made charged by said second polymer.

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