# US 2022/0037673 A1 · Method of treating a platinum-alloy catalyst, a treated platinum-alloy catalyst, and device for carrying out the method of treating a platinum-alloy catalyst

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- Number: US 2022/0037673 A1
- Document ID: US20220037673A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/279,457
- Filed: 2019-09-25
- Published: 2022-02-03
- Earliest claimed: 2018-09-26
- Assignees: Kemijski Institut National Institute of Chemistry
- Applicants: Kemijski institut / National Institute of Chemistry
- Inventors: Matija Gatalo; Nejc Hodnik; Marjan Bele; Primoz Jovanovic; Miran Gaberscek; Matic Grom
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220037673A1

## CPC

- H01M 4/8657: {layered}
- H01M 4/8878: {Treatment steps after deposition of the catalytic active composition or after shaping of the electrode being free-standing body}
- H01M 4/921: {Alloys or mixtures with metallic elements}
- H01M 4/925: {supported on carriers, e.g. powder carriers}
- H01M 2008/1095: {Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes}
- 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

The present invention refers to a method of treating a platinum-alloy catalyst, comprising the steps of: A) providing a platinum-alloy catalyst, which comprises platinum (Pt) and at least one metal (M), which is less noble than platinum; B) exposing the catalyst to an acidic or basic medium, and exposing the catalyst to an adsorptive gas, wherein during step B) the catalyst is not subjected to an external electrical current or voltage. Further, the invention refers to a treated platinum-alloy catalyst. Moreover, and a device for carrying out the method of treating the platinum-alloy catalyst is provided.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of treating a platinum-alloy catalyst, comprising the steps of:
A) providing the platinum-alloy catalyst, which comprises platinum (Pt) and at least one metal (M), which is less noble than platinum,
B) exposing the catalyst to an acidic or basic medium, and
exposing the catalyst to an adsorptive gas, wherein during step B) the catalyst is not subjected to an external electrical current or voltage.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

Method according to claim 1, wherein the adsorptive gas is selected from carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H2), ethylene (C2H4), SO2 or H2S.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

Method according to claim 1, wherein the platinum-alloy of the platinum-alloy catalyst has the general formula
PtMx,
wherein M is at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Cu, Ni, Co, Fe, Ag, Pd, Zn, Cr, Ti, Pb, Sn, Mo, Y and Gd,
and wherein x fulfils the requirement 0<x≤5.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

Method according to claim 1, wherein the method of treating the platinum-alloy catalyst is a method of regeneration of a used platinum-alloy catalyst.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

Method according to claim 1, wherein the acidic medium comprises an acid having a pKa-value ranging from −1 to 10.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

Method according to claim 5, wherein the acidic medium comprises an acid which is selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acids, preferably the carboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, formic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid and capronic acid.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

Method according to claim 1, wherein the basic medium comprises a base having a pKb-value ranging from 0 to 8.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

Method according to claim 7, wherein the basic medium comprises a base having the general formula NR1R2R3, wherein R1, R2 and R3 are each independently from one another selected from the group consisting of H, Methyl, Ethyl, Propyl, Isopropyl, Butyl, Pentyl and Hexyl.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

Method according to claim 1, wherein step B) is performed at a temperature of more than 0° C. and less than 75° C.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

Method according to claim 1, wherein
exposing the catalyst to an acidic or basic medium, and exposing the catalyst to an adsorptive gas of step B) is performed by dispersing the catalyst in the acidic or basic medium,
wherein the adsorptive gas is at least partially dissolved in the acidic or basic medium and/or
wherein bubbles of the adsorptive gas are present in the acidic or basic medium.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

Method according to claim 1, further comprising:
C) separating the catalyst from the acidic or basic medium.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

Method according to claim 1, wherein step B) and step C) are repeated at least once.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

Method according to claim 11, further comprising:
D) washing the catalyst with a solvent.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

Method according to claim 1, wherein step B) is performed in a batch reactor or a continuous reactor.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

Method according to claim 1, wherein step B) is performed in a reactor selected from the group consisting of a fixed bed reactor (FBR), a mechanically stirred reactor (MSR) or a draft tube reactor (DTR).

### Claim 16

A treated platinum-alloy catalyst, the treated platinum-alloy catalyst comprises platinum (Pt) and at least one metal (M), which is less noble than platinum, wherein the treated platinum-alloy catalyst has a core-shell-structure with a platinum-alloy core and a platinum shell.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The treated platinum-alloy catalyst according to claim 16, wherein the less noble metal (M) is at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Cu, Ni, Co, Fe, Ag, Pd, Zn, Cr, Ti, Pb, Sn, Mo, Y and Gd.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The treated platinum-alloy catalyst according to claim 16, wherein the platinum-alloy catalyst is a nanoparticulate platinum alloy catalyst, the platinum alloy nanoparticles having an average particle diameter ranging from 1 nm to 1000 nm.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The treated platinum-alloy catalyst according to claim 18, wherein the platinum alloy nanoparticles are supported on a support.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

Device for carrying out the method according to claim 1, comprising:
a source of an adsorptive gas,
a source of an acidic or basic medium,
a reactor for exposing a platinum-alloy catalyst with the acidic or basic medium and exposing the platinum-alloy catalyst with the adsorptive gas, wherein the reactor is selected from the group consisting of a fixed bed reactor (FBR), a mechanically stirred reactor (MSR) or a draft tube reactor (DTR), and is comprising:
at least one inlet and
at least one outlet
wherein the source of the adsorptive gas is in fluid connection with the at least one inlet, and
the source of the acidic or basic medium is in fluid connection with the at least one inlet,
at least one separator for separating the platinum-alloy catalyst from the acidic or basic medium.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

Device according to claim 20, further comprising means for regeneration of the acidic or basic medium, said means being in fluid connection with both the at least one outlet of the reactor and the source of the acidic or basic medium.