# US 2010/0167166 A1 · Hyper-branched polymer, electrode including the polymer, electrolyte membrane including the polymer, and fuel cell including the electrode and/or the electrolyte membrane > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2010/0167166 A1 - Document ID: US20100167166A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/637,073 - Filed: 2009-12-14 - Published: 2010-07-01 - Earliest claimed: 2008-12-16 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.; Snu R&Db Foundation - Inventors: Seong-woo CHOI; Cheol-hee Ahn; Jung-ock Park; Mi-jung Yim - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100167166A1 ## CPC - H01M 4/921: {Alloys or mixtures with metallic elements} - H01M 4/8668: {Binders} - H01M 4/926: {on carbon or graphite} - H01M 8/0289: Means for holding the electrolyte (solid polymer electrolytes H01M8/1018) - H01M 8/1027: having carbon, oxygen and other atoms, e.g. sulfonated polyethersulfones [S-PES] - H01M 8/103: having nitrogen, e.g. sulfonated polybenzimidazoles [S-PBI], polybenzimidazoles with phosphoric acid, sulfonated polyamides [S-PA] or sulfonated polyphosphazenes [S-PPh] - H01M 8/1053: consisting of layers of polymers with at least one layer being ionically conductive - Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A hyper-branched polymer that has a dendritic unit, a linear unit, a terminal unit, and a degree of branching of about 0.05 to about 1. The hyper-branched polymer can be included in an electrode and/or an electrolyte membrane of a fuel cell. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electrode, comprising a catalyst layer comprising a hyper-branched polymer having: a dendritic unit represented by Formula 1; a linear unit represented by Formula 2; a terminal unit represented by Formula 3; and a degree of branching of from about 0.05 to about 1, wherein R is selected from the group consisting of fluorine, a C1-C20 fluorinated alkyl group, a C6-C20 fluorinated aryl group, a C2-C20 fluorinated heteroaryl group, a C6-C20 cycloalkyl group, and a C2-C20 heterocycle group. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electrode of claim 1, wherein R is selected from the group consisting of fluorine, a trifluoromethyl group, a 3,5-difluorophenyl group, or a group represented by one of the following formulae: ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electrode of claim 1, wherein the hyper-branched polymer has a degree of branching of from about 0.63 to about 0.7. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electrode of claim 1, wherein the hyper-branched polymer is a compound represented by Formula 5 and has a degree of branching of from about 0.63 to about 0.7: ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The electrode of claim 1, wherein the catalyst layer comprises a catalyst. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The electrode of claim 1, wherein: the catalyst layer comprises a catalyst; and the amount of the hyper-branched polymer is in the range of about 0.001 to about 0.65 parts by weight, based on 1 part by weight of the catalyst. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The electrode of claim 1, wherein the catalyst layer comprises: platinum (Pt); or an alloy or mixture of platinum and at least one metal selected from the group consisting of gold, palladium, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, tin, molybdenum, cobalt, chrome, and any mixtures thereof. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The electrode of claim 7, wherein the catalyst layer further comprises a carbonaceous support to support the platinum, the platinum alloy, or the mixture. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The electrode of claim 1, wherein the catalyst layer comprises at least one proton conductor selected from a phosphoric acid and a C1-C20 organic phosphonic acid. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The electrode of claim 9, further comprising at least one binder selected from the group consisting of poly(vinylidenefluoride), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoroethylene copolymer, fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), polyurethane, and a mixture thereof. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The electrode of claim 10, wherein the amount of the binder is in the range of about 0.001 parts to about 0.5 parts by weight based on 1 part by weight of a catalyst of the catalyst layer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The electrode of claim 1, wherein the catalyst layer comprises a catalyst and a polyurethane binder. ### Claim 13 An electrode comprising a catalyst layer comprising a cross-linked product of a hyper-branched polymer, a benzoxazine-based monomer, and a cross-linkable compound, the hyper-branched polymer having: a dendritic unit represented by Formula 1; a linear unit represented by Formula 2; a terminal unit represented by Formula 3; and a degree of branching of about 0.05 to about 1, wherein R is selected from the group consisting of fluorine, a C1-C20 fluorinated alkyl group, a C6-C20 fluorinated aryl group, a C2-C20 fluorinated heteroaryl group, a C6-C20 cycloalkyl group, and a C2-C20 heterocycle group. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The electrode of claim 13, wherein the catalyst layer comprises a catalyst. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The electrode of claim 13, wherein: the catalyst layer comprises a catalyst; and the amount of the hyper-branched polymer is in the range of from about 0.001 to about 0.65 parts by weight, based on 1 part by weight of the catalyst. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The electrode of claim 13, wherein the catalyst layer comprises: platinum (Pt); or an alloy or mixture of platinum and at least one metal selected from the group consisting of gold, palladium, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, tin, molybdenum, cobalt, chrome, and a mixture thereof. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The electrode of claim 16, wherein the catalyst layer further comprises a carbonaceous support to support the platinum, the platinum alloy, or the mixture. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The electrode of claim 13, wherein the catalyst layer comprises at least one proton conductor selected from a phosphoric acid and a C1-C20 organic phosphonic acid. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The electrode of claim 13, further comprising at least one binder selected from the group consisting of poly(vinylidenefluoride), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoroethylene copolymer, fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), polyurethane, and a mixture thereof. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The electrode of claim 19, wherein the amount of the binder is in the range of from about 0.001 parts to about 0.5 parts by weight, based on 1 part by weight of a catalyst of the catalyst layer. ### Claim 21 (depends on 13) The electrode of claim 13, wherein the catalyst layer further comprises a catalyst and a polyurethane binder. ### Claim 22 An electrolyte membrane for fuel cells, comprising: a hyper-branched polymer that has a dendritic unit represented by Formula 1, a linear unit represented by Formula 2, and a terminal unit represented by Formula 3 and that has a degree of branching of about 0.05 to about 1; or a cross-linked product of the hyper-branched polymer, a benzoxazine-based monomer, and a cross-linkable compound, wherein R is selected from the group consisting of fluorine, a C1-C20 fluorinated alkyl group, a C6-C20 fluorinated aryl group, a C2-C20 fluorinated heteroaryl group, a C6-C20 cycloalkyl group, and a C2-C20 heterocycle group. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The electrolyte membrane of claim 22, further comprising at least one proton conductor selected from a phosphoric acid and a C1-C20 organic phosphonic acid. ### Claim 24 A fuel cell comprising: a cathode; an anode; and a polymer electrolyte membrane interposed between the cathode and the anode, wherein at least one of the cathode, the anode, and the electrolyte membrane comprises, a hyper-branched polymer that has a dendritic unit represented by Formula 1, a linear unit represented by Formula 2, a terminal unit represented by Formula 3, and a degree of branching of about 0.05 to about 1, or a cross-linked product of the hyper-branched polymer, a benzoxazine-based monomer, and a cross-linkable compound, wherein R is selected from the group consisting of fluorine, a C1-C20 fluorinated alkyl group, a C6-C20 fluorinated aryl group, a C2-C20 fluorinated heteroaryl group, a C6-C20 cycloalkyl group, or a C2-C20 heterocycle group.