Nanostructured solid electrolytes and devices
First Claim
1. An electrochemical comprisinga porous nanocomposite solid electrode having a first and a second surface, comprising a conductive material and nanoscale particles of an electrolyte material and having a pore fraction in the range of 15-50 percent, wherein an electrical potential is developed between the first and second surfaces when the first surface is exposed to a reference species and the second surface is exposed to an analyte species.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Ion conducting solid electrolytes are constructed from nanoscale precursor material. Nanocrystalline powders are pressed into disc structures and sintered to the appropriate degree of densification. Metallic material is mixed with 0 to 65 vol % nanostructured electrolyte powders to form a cermet mix and then coated on each side of the disc and fitted with electrical leads. The electrical conductivity of a Ag/YSZ/Ag cell so assembled exhibited about an order of magnitude enhancement in oxygen ion conductivity. As an oxygen-sensing element in a standard O2/Ag/YSZ/Ag/N2 set up, the nanocrystalline YSZ element exhibited commercially significant oxygen ion conductivity at low temperatures. The invention can be utilized to prepare nanostructured ion conducting solid electrolytes for a wide range of applications, including sensors, oxygen pumps, fuel cells, batteries, electrosynthesis reactors and catalytic membranes.
-
Citations
15 Claims
-
1. An electrochemical comprising
a porous nanocomposite solid electrode having a first and a second surface, comprising a conductive material and nanoscale particles of an electrolyte material and having a pore fraction in the range of 15-50 percent, wherein an electrical potential is developed between the first and second surfaces when the first surface is exposed to a reference species and the second surface is exposed to an analyte species.
-
3. An electrochemical device, comprising a nanostructured electrolytic structure having an first surface and a second surface, prepared by
aggregating nanoscale particles of a ceramic electrolyte material to form the electrolytic structure; - and
sintering the electrolytic structure at a temperature sufficient to cause its densification, said temperature being less than 1000°
C.,wherein an electrical potential is developed between the first and second surfaces when the first surface is exposed to a reference species and the second surface is exposed to an analyte species. - View Dependent Claims (4)
- and
-
11. A solid electrolyte based device, comprising
a nanostructured electrolytic structure, prepared by aggregating nanoscale particles of a ceramic electrolyte material to form the electrolytic structure; - and
sintering the electrolytic structure at a temperature sufficient to cause its densification, said temperature being less than 1000°
C.,wherein the device is selected from the group consisting of an energy storage device, an energy generation device, a device for thermodynamic property measurements, a device for electrocatalysis, a device for electrosynthesis, a solid state chemical pump, and a chemical sensor. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
- and
Specification