System and method for converting chemical energy into electrical energy using nano-engineered porous network materials
AssigneeQuSwami, Inc.
InventorsJawahar Gidwani, Arash Hazeghi, Andrew Lam, Attila Horvath
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Abstract
An energy conversion device for conversion of chemical energy into electricity. The energy conversion device has a first and second electrode. A substrate is present that has a porous semiconductor or dielectric layer placed thereover. The porous semiconductor or dielectric layer can be a nano-engineered structure. A porous catalyst material is placed on at least a portion of the porous semiconductor or dielectric layer such that at least some of the porous catalyst material enters the nano-engineered structure of the porous semiconductor or dielectric layer, thereby forming an intertwining region.
Claims19
An energy conversion device for conversion of chemical energy into electricity, comprising:
- a first electrode;
- a substrate connected to said first electrode;
- a three-dimensioned textured porous semiconductor layer disposed over said substrate, said three-dimensioned textured porous semiconductor layer having a nano-engineered structure;
- a porous catalyst material on at least a portion of said three-dimensioned textured porous semiconductor layer that contacts a fuel and an oxidizer supplied to the energy conversion device, wherein at least some of the porous catalyst material enters the nano-engineered structure of said three-dimensioned textured porous semiconductor layer to form an intertwining region, the three-dimensioned textured porous semiconductor layer forming solid-state junctions, wherein the solid-state junctions are p-n junctions;
- and
- a second electrode, wherein electrons from the porous catalyst material are injected into the three-dimensioned textured porous semiconductor layer, and wherein an electrical potential is formed between the first electrode and the second electrode during chemical reactions between the fuel and oxidizer in contact with the porous catalyst material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.