Porous electroconductive material and process for production thereof; electrode and process for production thereof; fuel cell and process for production thereof; and electronic instrument, mobile machine, electric power generating system, cogeneration system, and electrode reaction-based apparatus

• US 8,419,913 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2006
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sato, Atsushi, Sakai, Hideki, Hatakeyama, Mamoru, Nakagawa, Takaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Ford, Allison
• Assistant Examiner(s): FERNANDEZ, SUSAN EMILY
• Application Number:
  US11/458,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20070062821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,462 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 204/403.04
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2004/8684 Negative electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2008/1095 Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/861 with a gradient in the porosity
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/16 Biochemical fuel cells, i.e. cells in which microorganisms function as catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A porous electroconductive material is provided. The electroconductive material enables efficient enzymatic metabolic reactions on electrodes and yields electrodes having immobilized enzymes thereon which remain stable in any working environment. The porous electroconductive material, which has a three-dimensional network structure, is formed from a skeleton of porous material and a carbonaceous material covering the surface of the skeleton. The porous material constituting the skeleton is foamed metal or alloy. This porous electroconductive material is made into an electrode, and enzymes are immobilized on this electrode. The resulting electrode with immobilized enzymes thereon is used as the anode of a bio-fuel cell.

Claims

1. A porous electroconductive material comprising

a skeleton of an electrically conductive porous material,

one or more enzymes, and

a material composed mainly of a carbonaceous material which coats and is directly formed on at least substantial portions of the interior and exterior of the skeleton, and the material composed mainly of a carbonaceous material is coated to a thickness such that the pores of the skeleton communicate with one another without the material clogging the pores.

2. The porous electroconductive material according to claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive porous material is a metal, an alloy, or a carbonaceous material.

3. The porous electroconductive material according to claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive porous material is foamed metal or foamed alloy.

4. The porous electroconductive material according to claim 1, wherein the carbonaceous material is fullerene.

5. The porous electroconductive material according to claim 1, wherein the material composed mainly of the carbonaceous material also includes a secondary material that is a metal.

6. The porous electroconductive material according to claim 1, wherein the material composed mainly of the carbonaceous material also includes a secondary material that is water repellant.

7. The porous electroconductive material according to claim 6, wherein the secondary material is polytetrafluoroethylene.

8. The porous electroconductive material according to claim 1, wherein the carbonaceous material is of a fibrous and needlelike shape.

9. An electrode of porous electroconductive material comprising

a skeleton of an electrically conductive porous material,

one or more enzymes, and

a material composed mainly of carbonaceous material which coats and is directly formed on at least substantial portions of the interior and exterior of the skeleton, and the material composed mainly of a carbonaceous material is coated to a thickness such that the pores of the skeleton communicate with one another without the material clogging the pores.

10. A method of producing an electrode comprising:

coating at least substantial portions of the interior and exterior of the surface of a skeleton of an electrically conductive porous material with a material composed mainly of carbonaceous material, thereby forming a porous electroconductive material where the carbonaceous material is formed directly on the electrically conductive porous material,

immobilizing one or more enzymes on said porous electroconductive material, and

molding the porous electroconductive material into an electrode,

wherein the material composed mainly of carbonaceous material is coated to a thickness such that the pores of the skeleton communicate with one another without the material clogging the pores.