FUEL CELL WITH METAL CHELATE ELECTRODE CATALYST

• US 3,821,028 A
• Filed: 06/07/1972
• Issued: 06/28/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jahnke H, Magenau H, Weber L, Ziener H, Zimmermann G
• Original Assignee: Jahnke H, Magenau H, Weber L, Ziener H, Zimmermann G
• Inventors: ZIENER H, MAGENAU H, ZIMMERMANN G, WEBER L, JAHNKE H
• Application Number:
  US05/260,391
• Time in Patent Office: 751 Days
• US Class Current: 429/498
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/9008 Organic or organo-metallic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A catalyst for fuel cell electrodes wherein a gaseous fuel or a fuel dissolved in the electrolyte of the cell is subjected to anodic oxidation, comprises a metal chelate of 5, 14-dihydrodibenzo(5,9,14,18) tetraaza(14)-annulene or an electrochemical oxidation product thereof. The catalyst permits formation of electrodes which can be operated with an acidic electrolyte and comparatively inexpensive fuel, such as methanol, formaldehyde, formic acid, carbon monoxide, oxalic acid, etc.

Claims

2. In a fuel cell as defined in claim 1, wherein said metal chelates comprise cobalt as the central atom.

3. In a fuel cell as defined in claim 1, wherein said metal chelates comprise iron as the central atom.

4. In a fuel cell as defined in claim 1, wherein said metal chelates comprise copper as the central atom.

5. In a fuel cell as defined in claim 1, wherein said electrolyte is an acidic electrolyte.

6. In a fuel cell as defined in claim 5, wherein said electrolyte comprises sulfuric acid.

7. In a fuel cell as defined in claim 1, wherein the fuel includes a substance selected from the group consisting of formaldehyde, formic acid, oxalic acid, carbon monoxide and hydrazine hydrate.

8. In a fuel cell as defined in claim 1, wherein the fuel includes a substance selected from the group consisting of formic acid and carbon monoxide, and said electrolyte comprises potassium hydroxide.