MEMBRANE-ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY AND FUEL BATTERY USING THE SAME

• US 20100086823A1
• Filed: 03/10/2008
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Chemical Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Chemical Company Limited
• Inventors: Higashimura, Hideyuki, Shinoda, Hiroshi, Saito, Shin, Koshino, Nobuyoshi, Sakai, Taiga
• Application Number:
  US12/530,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20100086823A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/452
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/9008 Organic or organo-metallic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1004 characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] H01M8/12 takes precedence
• 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 8/1067 characterised by their physical properties, e.g. porosity, ionic conductivity or thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A membrane-electrode assembly, containing an electrode catalyst containing a base metal complex, in which exchange current density i₀ obtained from a Tafel plot, which is related to current density and voltage, is 5.0×10⁻⁴ Acm⁻² or more, and in which a Tafel slope obtained from the Tafel plot is 450 mV/decade or less; and

a membrane-electrode assembly, containing catalyst layers each containing an electrode catalyst on both sides of an electrolyte membrane, in which at least one of the catalyst layers comprises a non-noble metal-based electrode catalyst, and in which the electrolyte membrane is a hydrocarbon-based electrolyte membrane.

Claims

1. A membrane-electrode assembly, comprising an electrode catalyst containing a base metal complex,

wherein exchange current density i₀ obtained from a Tafel plot, which is related to current density and voltage, is 5.0×

10<sup>−

4</sup> Acm<sup>−

2</sup> or more, and

wherein a Tafel slope obtained from the Tafel plot is 450 mV/decade or less.

2. The membrane-electrode assembly according to claim 1, wherein the base metal complex is a base metal complex comprising, as a ligand, a compound having two or more phenol rings and two or more aromatic heterocycles.

3. The membrane-electrode assembly according to claim 1, wherein the base metal complex is a base metal complex comprising a base metal atom selected from the group consisting of vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, tantalum and tungsten.

4. The membrane-electrode assembly according to claim 1, wherein the number of base metal atoms contained in one molecule of the base metal complex is 1 or more and 10 or less.

5. The membrane-electrode assembly according to claim 1, wherein the electrode catalyst containing a base metal complex is a catalyst subjected to heating treatment at a temperature of 300°

C. or higher and 1,200°

C. or lower.

6. A fuel battery, comprising the membrane-electrode assembly according to claim 1.

7. A membrane-electrode assembly, comprising catalyst layers each containing an electrode catalyst on both sides of an electrolyte membrane,

wherein at least one of the catalyst layers comprises a non-noble metal-based electrode catalyst, and

wherein the electrolyte membrane is a hydrocarbon-based electrolyte membrane.

8. The membrane-electrode assembly according to claim 7, wherein the non-noble metal-based electrode catalyst is an electrode catalyst comprising a non-noble metal complex.

9. The membrane-electrode assembly according to claim 7, wherein the hydrocarbon-based electrolyte membrane comprises an aromatic hydrocarbon-based polymer electrolyte.

10. The membrane-electrode assembly according to claim 7, wherein the hydrocarbon-based electrolyte membrane is an aromatic hydrocarbon-based electrolyte membrane having proton conductivity.

11. A fuel battery, comprising the membrane-electrode assembly according to claim 7.