Electrode for fuel cell, membrane-electrode assembly for fuel cell comprising the same, fuel cell system comprising the same, and method for preparing the electrode

• US 9,346,673 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2005
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Inventors: Noh, Hyung-gon, Kim, Hee-Tak, Lee, Jong-ki, Kweon, Ho-jin
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilliam, Barbara
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARTIN, ANGELA J
• Application Number:
  US11/126,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20050287418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,031 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2008/1095 Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8605 Porous electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8807 Gas diffusion layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8817 Treatment of supports before application of the catalytic active composition coated porous composites H01M8/0245
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8867 Vapour deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/926 on carbon or graphite
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

The electrode for a fuel cell of the invention includes: an electrode substrate; and a catalyst layer having a filler layer formed on the surface of the electrode substrate and a catalyst coating the filler layer.

Claims

1. An electrode for a fuel cell comprising an electrode substrate and a catalyst layer, the catalyst layer comprising:

filler particles on a surface of the electrode substrate, wherein the filler particles comprise particles selected from the group consisting of graphite;

nanocarbon having a diameter from 30 to 500 nm, the nanocarbon comprising carbon nanotubes;

inorganic particles selected from the group consisting of alumina, silica, and combinations thereof; and

combinations thereof;

a polymer network on a surface of the filler particles, the polymer network defining a plurality of spaces; and

catalyst particles in at least some of the spaces of the polymer network, wherein the catalyst particles are present in an amount of about 0.1 mg/cm² to 0.4 mg/cm² per unit surface area.

2. The electrode according to claim 1, wherein the catalyst particles comprise a catalyst selected from the group consisting of platinum;

ruthenium;

osmium;

platinum-ruthenium alloys;

platinum-osmium alloys;

platinum-palladium alloys;

platinum-M alloys where M is a transition metal selected from the group consisting of Ga, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, and combinations thereof and combinations thereof.

3. The electrode according to claim 1, wherein the catalyst particles have an average diameter from 1 to 1,000 nm.

4. The electrode according to claim 1, wherein the filler particles comprise inorganic particles selected from the group consisting of alumina, silica, and combinations thereof.

5. The electrode according to claim 1, wherein the polymer network comprises a binder resin selected from the group consisting of fluorine-based binder resins, benzimidazole-based binder resins, ketone-based binder resins, ester-based binder resins, amide-based binder resins, and imide-based binder resins.

6. The electrode according to claim 5, wherein the polymer network comprises a material selected from the group consisting of poly(perfluorosulfonic acid), poly(perfluorocarboxylic acid), co-polymers of tetrafluoroethylene and fluorovinylether containing sulfonic acid groups, defluorinated polyetherketone sulfides, arylketones, poly(2,2′

-(m-phenylene)-5,5′

-bibenzimidazole), poly(2,5-benzimidazole), and combinations thereof.

7. A method for fabricating an electrode for a fuel cell, comprising:

forming a filler layer on a surface of an electrode substrate by wet coating the surface of the electrode substrate with nanocarbon having a diameter from 30 to 500 nm, wherein the nanocarbon comprises carbon nanotubes; and

forming a catalyst layer on a surface of the filler layer by coating the filler layer with catalyst particles, wherein the catalyst particles are coated on the filler layer in an amount of about 0.1 mg/cm² to about 0.5 mg/cm² per unit surface area.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the filler layer has a thickness from 0.05 μ

m to 10 μ

m.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the catalyst is selected from the group consisting of platinum;

ruthenium;

osmium;

platinum-ruthenium alloys;

platinum-osmium alloys;

platinum-palladium alloys, platinum-M alloy where M is a transition metal selected from the group consisting of Ga, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, and combinations thereof; and

combinations thereof.

10. A method for fabricating an electrode for a fuel cell, comprising:

forming a polymer network defining a plurality of spaces on an electrode substrate by mixing a plurality of filler particles with a binder resin to form a mixture,

coating one side of the electrode substrate with the mixture to form a coated electrode substrate,

drying the coated electrode substrate, and thermally treating the coated electrode substrate,

wherein the filler particles comprise particles selected from the group consisting of graphite;

nanocarbon having a diameter from 30 to 500 nm, the nanocarbon comprising carbon nanotubes;

inorganic particles selected from the group consisting of alumina, silica, and combinations thereof; and

combinations thereof; and

filling at least some of the spaces of the polymer network with catalyst particles to form a catalyst layer on the electrode substrate, wherein the catalyst particles are added in an amount of about 0.1 mg/cm² to 0.4 mg/cm² per unit surface area.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the polymer network comprises a binder resin selected from the group consisting of fluorine-based binder resins, benzimidazole-based binder resins, ketone-based binder resins, ester-based binder resins, amide-based binder resins, imide-based binder resins, and combinations thereof.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the polymer network comprises a material selected from the group consisting of poly(perfluorosulfonic acid), poly(perfluorocarboxylic acid), co-polymers of tetrafluoroethylene and fluorovinylether containing sulfonic acid groups, defluorinated polyetherketone sulfides, arylketones, poly(2,2′

-(m-phenylene)-5,5′

-bibenzimidazole), poly(2,5-benzimidazole), and combinations thereof.

13. The electrode according to claim 10, wherein the filler particles comprise carbon particles selected from the group consisting of graphite, nanocarbon, and combinations thereof.

14. The electrode according to claim 10, wherein the filler particles comprise inorganic particles selected from the group consisting of alumina, silica, and combinations thereof.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein the catalyst particles comprise a material selected from the group consisting of platinum;

ruthenium;

osmium;

platinum-ruthenium alloys;

platinum-osmium alloys;

platinum-palladium alloys;

platinum-M alloys where M is a transition metal selected from the group consisting of Ga, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, and combinations thereof; and

combinations thereof.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the catalyst particles have an average diameter from 1 to 1,000 nm.