Nanostructured electrode membranes
First Claim
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1. An electrochemical cell comprising:
- (a) a working electrode comprising a first encapsulant layer, having a first set of nanostructured elements embedded therein, wherein one end of each nanostructured element is embedded within the encapsulant layer and the other end of each nanostructured element is coincident with a first surface of the first encapsulant layer, such that the first surface is a conductive surface;
(b) a counter electrode comprising a second encapsulant layer, having a second set of nanostructured elements embedded therein, wherein one end of each nanostructured element is embedded within the encapsulant layer and the other end of each nanostructured element is coincident with a first surface of the second encapsulant layer, such that the first surface is a conductive surface; and
(c) at least one electrolyte [such that]provided the electrolyte is in intimate contact with the conductive surface of both sets of nanostructured elements of the working and counter electrodes.
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Abstract
A nanostructured composite film comprising a plurality of nanostructured elements, wherein the nanostructured elements are either two-component sub-microscopic structures comprised of whiskers conformally coated with a conducting, preferentially catalytically active material or one component sub-microscopic structures comprised of a conducting preferentially catalytically active material, such that the nanostructured elements are embedded in an encapsulant, wherein the encapsulant can be a solid electrolyte. The composite film can be used as an electrode membrane in an electrochemical cell or sensor.
251 Citations
26 Claims
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1. An electrochemical cell comprising:
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(a) a working electrode comprising a first encapsulant layer, having a first set of nanostructured elements embedded therein, wherein one end of each nanostructured element is embedded within the encapsulant layer and the other end of each nanostructured element is coincident with a first surface of the first encapsulant layer, such that the first surface is a conductive surface; (b) a counter electrode comprising a second encapsulant layer, having a second set of nanostructured elements embedded therein, wherein one end of each nanostructured element is embedded within the encapsulant layer and the other end of each nanostructured element is coincident with a first surface of the second encapsulant layer, such that the first surface is a conductive surface; and (c) at least one electrolyte [such that]provided the electrolyte is in intimate contact with the conductive surface of both sets of nanostructured elements of the working and counter electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 23)
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8. An analyte sensor comprising in sequential order:
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(a) a first nanostructured electrode membrane, wherein the membrane comprises a first set of nanostructured elements embedded in a first encapsulant and such membrane has an conductive surface and a nonconductive surface; (b) an electrolyte; and (c) a second nanostructured electrode membrane, wherein the membrane comprises a second set of nanostructured elements embedded in a second encapsulant and such membrane has an conductive surface and a nonconductive surface; wherein the conductive surfaces of the first and second membranes are in intimate contact with the electrolyte. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A nanostructured composite film comprising:
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(a) a plurality of nanostructured elements, wherein the nanostructured elements are acicular, discrete, oriented, sub-microscopic, two-component structures comprised of whiskers coated with a conductive material; and (b) an encapsulant layer, wherein one end of each nanostructured element is embedded within the encapsulant layer and the other end of each nanostructured element is coincident with a first surface of the encapsulant layer, such that the first surface is a conductive surface. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 24)
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- 20. A nanostructured electrode membrane comprising at least one set of nanostructured elements, wherein one end of each nanostructured element is embedded in a portion of an encapsulating solid electrolyte and the other end of each nanostructured element is coincident with a first surface of the encapsulating solid electrolyte.
Specification