Electrode catalyst for H2S fuel cells
AssigneeThe Governors of the University of Alberta
InventorsKarl T. Chuang, Jingli Luo, Guolin Wei, Alan R. Sanger
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Abstract
The present invention relates to an anode catalyst for use in the electrochemical oxidation of H2S to elemental sulfur and water, specifically in a fuel cell having an ion-conducting membrane. The catalyst comprises a material prepared from two or more metal sulfides of the formula MSx, wherein M is selected from the group consisting of Co, Ni, Fe, Mo, Cu, Cr, W and Mn, and x is between about 1.0 and about 2.5; a conductive material suitable for fuel cell operation; and a porous material. The invention further provides methods of preparing the catalyst, fuel cells comprising the catalyst and methods of electrochemically oxidizing H2S using the catalyst.
Claims22
An anode catalyst composition for a gas phase H2S-O2 fuel cell having an ion-conducting membrane comprising:
- (a) two or more metal sulfides of the formula MSx, wherein M is selected from the group consisting of Co, Ni, Fe, Mo, Cu, Cr, W and Mn, and x is between about 1.0 and about 2.5;
- (b) a conductive material suitable for fuel cell operation;
- and
- (c) an ion-conducting porous material,
- wherein both of the conductive material and the porous material are present in the composition in amounts up to about 10% by weight of the composition.
A method of preparing an anode catalyst composition for a H2S-O2 fuel cell having an ion-conducting membrane comprising:
- (a) combining two or more sulfides of the formula MSx, wherein M is selected from the group consisting of Co, Ni, Fe, Mo, Cu, Cr, W and Mn and x is between about 1.0 and about 2.5, with a conductive material suitable for fuel cell operation;
- and
- (b) combining the combination of (a) with an ion-conducting porous material,
- wherein both of the conductive material and the porous material are present in the composition in amounts up to about 10% by weight of the composition.
The method according to claim 15, wherein the material his heated to a temperature in the range of about 1000° C. to about 1100° C., for about 30 minutes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.