Fuel cell and enzyme electrode

• US 8,911,908 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2009
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sakai, Hideki, Nakagawa, Takaaki, Kumita, Hideyuki, Mita, Hiroki, Hosoda, Yasuhide, Sugiyama, Taiki, Matsumoto, Ryuhei
• Primary Examiner(s): SIDDIQUEE, MUHAMMAD S
• Application Number:
  US13/121,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20110236770A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,958 Days
• Field of Search: 429/401
• US Class Current: 429/401
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/001 Enzyme electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/9008 Organic or organo-metallic compounds
• 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

Abstract

Provided is a fuel cell that is high in performance capabilities of initial power generation and in volume power density, and produces a stable power. Between fixing plates, first and second cell portions are provided. The first cell portion includes an anode, a cathode, and a proton conductor, and the second cell portion includes an anode, a cathode, and a proton conductor. To a space formed by gas-liquid separation and permeable films, cathode spacers, and an anode spacer, a fuel solution is filled. The gas-liquid separation and permeable films are disposed between the fixing plate and the cathode, and between the fixing plate and the cathode. The cathode spacers are provided around the cathodes, respectively, and the anode spacer is provided between the anodes.

Claims

1. A fuel cell comprising:

a cathode;

an anode disposed opposite to the cathode; and

a proton conductor sandwiched between the anode and the cathode,

wherein each of the anode and the cathode comprises;

an electrode substrate;

an enzyme fixing film for fixedly providing an enzyme to the electrode substrate; and

a current collector provided with a convex portion higher than a thickness of the enzyme film, wherein the current collector comes in contact with the electrode substrate by the convex portion.

2. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the cathode is at least partially water-repellent on a surface thereof.

3. The fuel cell according to claim 1, further comprising:

a terminal for a connection use with another fuel cell;

a fuel supply hole to supply a fuel into the fuel cell; and

an exhaust hole to exhaust gas from the fuel cell, wherein each of the terminal, the fuel supply hole, and the exhaust hole are disposed on a different plane.

4. The fuel cell according to claim 3, further comprising:

a fuel guidance section for guiding the fuel provided by the fuel supply hole at a predetermined position of a fuel tank and/or in a predetermined direction.

5. The fuel cell according to claim 3, wherein one or more magnets are internally provided, and the terminal is connected to another by a magnetic force.

6. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the fuel cell is a coin-shaped or tube-shaped cell.

7. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein a cavity is formed between the enzyme fixing film and the current collector.

8. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the anode or the cathode is fixedly provided with an oxidoreductase for use as a catalyst.

9. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the anode is configured by fixedly providing an oxidoreductase and an electron mediator on a surface of an electrode made of a conductive porous material.

10. The fuel cell according to claim 9, wherein the conductive porous material comprises a carbon material, wherein the carbon material comprises one of porous carbon, carbon pellet, carbon felt, carbon paper, carbon fiber, or carbon-particle laminate.

11. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the cathode is configured by fixedly providing an oxidoreductase and an electron mediator on a surface of an electrode made of a conductive porous material.

12. The fuel cell according to claim 11, wherein the conductive porous material comprises a carbon material, wherein the carbon material comprises one of porous carbon, carbon pellet, carbon felt, carbon paper, carbon fiber, or carbon-particle laminate.

13. The fuel cell according to claim 11, wherein the electron mediator comprises one of ferrocyanide, potassium ferricyanide, or potassium octacyanotungstate.

14. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein an aqueous solution of poly-L-lysine (PLL) and polyacrylic acid (PAAc) is used as the enzyme fixing film for fixedly providing the enzyme to an electrode surface.

15. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the cathode is configured by a plurality of electrodes each disposed with a space from one another.

16. The fuel cell according to claim 8, wherein the oxidoreductase comprises one of bilirubin oxidase, laccase, or ascorbate oxidase.