Cesium-deficient cesium phosphates for proton conducting electrolytes
AssigneeNorthwestern University
InventorsLouis S. Wang, Sossina M. Haile, Sheel S. Sanghvi
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Abstract
Proton conducting materials and membranes and electrochemical devices incorporating the materials and membranes are provided. Also provided are methods of making the materials and membranes and methods of operating the electrochemical devices. The proton conducting materials are solid acids that form superprotonic phases at elevated temperatures. The superprotonic phases have a cubic structure and the general formula: M(1−x)Hy]H2PO4, where M represents one or more monovalent cations or a combination of monovalent cations and divalent cations, 0<x≤2/9, and y is a number that provides charge balancing.
Claims20
A proton conducting material comprising a superprotonic phase of a solid acid, the superprotonic phase having a cubic structure and the general formula:
- [M(1−x)Hy]H2PO4, where M represents one or more monovalent cations or a combination of monovalent cations and divalent cations, 0<x≤0.2 2, and y is a number that provides charge balancing.
A device comprising an anode, a cathode, and a proton conducting membrane in electrical communication with the anode and the cathode, the proton conducting membrane comprising a superprotonic phase of a solid acid, the superprotonic phase having a cubic structure and the general formula:
- [M(1−x)Hy]H2PO4, where M represents one or more monovalent cations or a combination of monovalent cations and divalent cations, 0<x≤0.2 2, and y is a number that provides charge balancing.
A method of operating a fuel cell comprising an anode, a cathode, and a proton conducting membrane located between the anode and the cathode, the proton conducting membrane comprising a superprotonic phase of a solid acid at a temperature at which the fuel cell is operated, the superprotonic phase having a cubic structure and the general formula:
- [M(1−x)Hy]H2PO4, where M represents one or more monovalent cations or a combination of monovalent cations and divalent cations, 0<x≤0.2 2, and y is a number that provides charge balancing, the method comprising:
- feeding a fuel into the anode where it is oxidized to form electrons that pass externally to the cathode and protons that pass through the proton conducting membrane to the cathode;
- and
- feeding an oxidizing agent into the cathode where it reacts with the protons from the anode to produce water.
A method of making a solid acid that forms a superprotonic phase, the superprotonic phase having a cubic structure and the general formula:
- [M(1−x)Hy]H2PO4, where M represents one or more monovalent cations or a combination of monovalent cations and divalent cations, 0<x≤0.2 2, and y is a number that provides charge balancing, the method comprising:
- reacting a stoichiometric mixture MH2PO4 and MH5(PO4)2.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.