Nanowire-based membrane electrode assemblies for fuel cells
First Claim
1. A fuel cell comprising inorganic nanowires which are derivatized with at least a first functional group which binds to a metal catalyst deposited on a surface of the nanowires, wherein the nanowires are deposited or directly grown on a proton exchange membrane of the fuel cell.
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Abstract
The present invention discloses nanowires for use in a fuel cell comprising a metal catalyst deposited on a surface of the nanowires. A membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell is disclosed which generally comprises a proton exchange membrane, an anode electrode, and a cathode electrode, wherein at least one or more of the anode electrode and cathode electrode comprise an interconnected network of the catalyst supported nanowires. Methods are also disclosed for preparing a membrane electrode assembly and fuel cell based upon an interconnected network of nanowires.
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Citations
94 Claims
- 1. A fuel cell comprising inorganic nanowires which are derivatized with at least a first functional group which binds to a metal catalyst deposited on a surface of the nanowires, wherein the nanowires are deposited or directly grown on a proton exchange membrane of the fuel cell.
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7. A fuel cell using inorganic nanowires comprising a metal catalyst deposited on a surface of the nanowires wherein the nanowires are deposited on the surface of one or more bipolar plates of the fuel cell.
- 8. A fuel cell using inorganic nanowires comprising a metal catalyst deposited on a surface of the nanowires wherein the nanowires are directly grown on one or more bipolar plates of the fuel cell.
- 10. A fuel cell using inorganic nanowires comprising a metal catalyst deposited on a surface of the nanowires wherein the nanowires are directly grown on a proton exchange membrane of the fuel cell.
- 16. A nanostructured catalyst support for a membrane electrode assembly of a fuel cell comprising a network of inorganic nanowires each having a metal catalyst deposited thereon, wherein the nanowires in the network are each functionalized with at least a first chemical binding moiety.
- 38. A membrane electrode assembly, comprising a proton exchange membrane, an anode electrode, and a cathode electrode, wherein at least one or more of the anode electrode and cathode electrode comprise an interconnected network of nanowires, wherein the nanowires in the network of nanowires are each functionalized with a first chemical binding moiety which binds metal catalyst nanoparticles having a diameter between about 1 and 10 nm to the nanowires.
- 47. A membrane electrode assembly, comprising a proton exchange membrane, an anode electrode, and a cathode electrode, wherein at least one or more of the anode electrode and cathode electrode comprise an interconnected network of nanowires, wherein the nanowires in the network of nanowires are each functionalized with a chemical binding moiety which binds a proton conducting polymer coating to the nanowires.
- 54. A method for preparing a fuel cell membrane electrode assembly, comprising (a) associating a catalyst metal selected from the group comprising one or more of chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), manganese (Mn), technetium (Tc), rhenium (Re), iron (Fe), ruthenium (Ru), osmium (Os), cobalt (Co), rhodium (Rh), iridium (Ir), nickel (Ni), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), gold (Au), zinc (Zn), tin (Sn), aluminum (Al), and combinations thereof, with a plurality of inorganic nanowires to form a plurality of inorganic nanowires with associated catalyst metal, and (b) forming a membrane electrode assembly comprising the plurality of inorganic nanowires with associated catalyst metal, wherein the plurality of inorganic nanowires are derivatized with at least a first functional group which binds the catalyst metal.
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67. A method for preparing a fuel cell membrane electrode assembly, comprising (a) associating a catalyst metal selected from the group comprising one or more of chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), manganese (Mn), technetium (Tc), rhenium (Re), iron (Fe), ruthenium (Ru), osmium (Os), cobalt (Co), rhodium (Rh), iridium (Ir), nickel (Ni), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), gold (Au), zinc (Zn), tin (Sn), aluminum (Al), and combinations thereof, with a plurality of inorganic nanowires to form a plurality of inorganic nanowires with associated catalyst metal, and (b) forming a membrane electrode assembly comprising the plurality of inorganic nanowires with associated catalyst metal, wherein the catalyst metal is deposited on the nanowires in the form of one or more of islands, stripes or rings on the surface of the nanowires.
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68. A method for preparing a fuel cell membrane electrode assembly, comprising (a) associating a catalyst metal selected from the group comprising one or more of chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), manganese (Mn), technetium (Tc), rhenium (Re), iron (Fe), ruthenium (Ru), osmium (Os), cobalt (Co), rhodium (Rh), iridium (Ir), nickel (Ni), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), gold (Au), zinc (Zn), tin (Sn), aluminum (Al), and combinations thereof, with a plurality of inorganic nanowires to form a plurality of inorganic nanowires with associated catalyst metal, and (b) forming a membrane electrode assembly comprising the plurality of inorganic nanowires with associated catalyst metal, wherein the forming is done on a proton exchange membrane by a method selected from the group comprising spray/brush painting, solution coating, casting, electrolytic deposition, filtering a fluid suspension of the nanowires, and combinations thereof.
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69. A method for preparing a fuel cell membrane electrode assembly, comprising (a) associating a catalyst metal selected from the group comprising one or more of chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), manganese (Mn), technetium (Tc), rhenium (Re), iron (Fe), ruthenium (Ru), osmium (Os), cobalt (Co), rhodium (Rh), iridium (Ir), nickel (Ni), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), gold (Au), zinc (Zn), tin (Sn), aluminum (Al), and combinations thereof, with a plurality of inorganic nanowires to form a plurality of inorganic nanowires with associated catalyst metal, and (b) forming a membrane electrode assembly comprising the plurality of inorganic nanowires with associated catalyst metal, wherein the nanowires are formed into an interconnected network of nanowires in which two or more nanowires in the network are physically and/or electrically coupled to each other by filtering a fluid suspension of the nanowires.
- 70. A method for preparing a fuel cell membrane electrode assembly, comprising (a) associating a catalyst metal selected from the group comprising one or more of chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), manganese (Mn), technetium (Tc), rhenium (Re), iron (Fe), ruthenium (Ru), osmium (Os), cobalt (Co), rhodium (Rh), iridium (Ir), nickel (Ni), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), gold (Au), zinc (Zn), tin (Sn), aluminum (Al), and combinations thereof, with a plurality of inorganic nanowires to form a plurality of inorganic nanowires with associated catalyst metal, (b) forming a membrane electrode assembly comprising the plurality of inorganic nanowires with associated catalyst metal, and (c) mixing an ionomeric resin with the plurality of inorganic nanowires with associated catalyst metal.
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74. A method of making a membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell, comprising:
- forming nanowires on a growth substrate;
transferring the nanowires from the growth substrate into a fluid suspension;
depositing one or more catalyst metals on the nanowires to form a nanowire supported catalyst;
filtering the fluid suspension of nanowires to create a porous sheet of interconnected nanowires;
infiltrating the sheet of interconnected nanowires with an ionomer; and
combining the sheet of interconnected nanowires with a polymer membrane to form the membrane electrode assembly. - View Dependent Claims (75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90)
- forming nanowires on a growth substrate;
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91. A fuel cell comprising a membrane electrode assembly comprising a proton exchange membrane, an anode electrode, and a cathode electrode, wherein at least one or more of the anode electrode and cathode electrode comprise an interconnected network of nanowires, wherein the fuel cell comprises first and second bipolar plates disposed on either side of the membrane electrode assembly and does not include a gas diffusion layer located between the membrane electrode assembly and either the first or second bipolar plates.
- 92. A nanowire for use in a fuel cell comprising a carbon nanotube or silicon nanowire core and one or more shell layers disposed about the core, wherein the outermost shell layer comprises silicon carbide (SiC) having a catalyst metal deposited thereon.
Specification