Nanowire-based membrane electrode assemblies for fuel cells
AssigneeNanosys, Inc.
InventorsChunming Niu, Calvin Chow, Stephen Empedocles, J. Parce
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Abstract
The present invention discloses nanowires for use in a fuel cell comprising a metal catalyst deposited on a surface of the nanowires. A membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell is disclosed which generally comprises a proton exchange membrane, an anode electrode, and a cathode electrode, wherein at least one or more of the anode electrode and cathode electrode comprise an interconnected network of the catalyst supported nanowires. Methods are also disclosed for preparing a membrane electrode assembly and fuel cell based upon an interconnected network of nanowires.
Claims105
Inorganic nanowires for use in a fuel cell comprising a metal catalyst deposited on a surface of the nanowires.
A nanostructured catalyst support for a membrane electrode assembly of a fuel cell comprising a network of inorganic nanowires each having a metal catalyst deposited thereon.
A membrane electrode assembly, comprising a proton exchange membrane, an anode electrode, and a cathode electrode, wherein at least one or more of the anode electrode and cathode electrode comprise an interconnected network of nanowires.
(canceled)
A method for preparing a fuel cell membrane electrode assembly, comprising (a) associating a catalyst metal selected from the group comprising one or more of chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), manganese (Mn), technetium (Tc), rhenium (Re), iron (Fe), ruthenium (Ru), osmium (Os), cobalt (Co), rhodium (Rh), iridium (Ir), nickel (Ni), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), gold (Au), zinc (Zn), tin (Sn), aluminum (Al), and combinations thereof, with a plurality of inorganic nanowires to form a plurality of inorganic nanowires with associated catalyst metal, and (b) forming a membrane electrode assembly comprising the plurality of inorganic nanowires with associated catalyst metal.
A method of making a membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell, comprising:
- forming nanowires on a growth substrate;
- transferring the nanowires from the growth substrate into a fluid suspension;
- depositing one or more catalyst metals on the nanowires to form a nanowire supported catalyst;
- filtering the fluid suspension of nanowires to create a porous sheet of interconnected nanowires;
- infiltrating the sheet of interconnected nanowires with an ionomer;
- and combining the sheet of interconnected nanowires with a polymer membrane to form the membrane electrode assembly.
A bipolar plate for a fuel cell comprising a plurality of inorganic nanowires deposited thereon.
A nanowire for use in a fuel cell comprising a carbon nanotube or silicon nanowire core and one or more shell layers disposed about the core, wherein the outermost shell layer comprises silicon carbide (SiC) having a catalyst metal deposited thereon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.