# US 2023/0411631 A1 · Electrochemical cell with bilayer electrocatalyst structure including graphene-based material

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- Number: US 2023/0411631 A1
- Document ID: US20230411631A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/842,258
- Filed: 2022-06-16
- Published: 2023-12-21
- Earliest claimed: 2022-06-16
- Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH
- Applicants: Robert Bosch GmbH
- Inventors: Jonathan BRAATEN; Lei CHENG; Shirin MEHRAZI; Morteza REZAEI TALARPOSHTI; Daniil KITCHAEV; Nathan CRAIG; Christina JOHNSTON
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230411631A1

## CPC

- H01M 4/8668: {Binders}
- H01M 4/8657: {layered}
- H01M 8/1004: characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] (H01M8/12 takes precedence)
- H01M 2300/0094: in the form of layered products, e.g. coatings
- 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

An electrochemical cell (e.g., a fuel cell) including an anode catalyst layer, a cathode catalyst layer, and an electrolyte membrane layer extending between the anode catalyst layer the cathode catalyst layer, and a graphene-based layer. The graphene-based layer is disposed between the cathode catalyst layer and the electrolyte membrane layer and/or the anode catalyst layer and the electrolyte membrane layer. The graphene-based layer is configured to suppress crossover gases and metallic cation exchange to enhance performance and durability of the electrochemical cell.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electrochemical cell comprising:
an anode catalyst layer;
a cathode catalyst layer;
an electrolyte membrane layer extending between the anode catalyst layer and the cathode catalyst layer; and
a graphene-based layer disposed between the cathode catalyst layer and the electrolyte membrane layer and/or the anode catalyst layer and the electrolyte membrane layer, the graphene-based layer is configured to suppress crossover gases to enhance performance of the electrochemical cell.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein the graphene-based layer includes sublayers of graphene-based flakes forming a stacked configuration of the sublayers of the graphene flakes.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The electrochemical cell of claim 2, wherein the graphene-based flakes in the graphene-based sublayers are substantially parallel to each other in the stacked configuration.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The electrochemical cell of claim 2, wherein the sublayers of the graphene-based flakes are bound by an ionomer material configured to maintain the stacked configuration of the sublayers of the graphene-based flakes.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The electrochemical cell of claim 4, wherein the ionomer material includes a Nafion ionomer, a Nafion-based material, a polyfluoropolymer, a low equivalent weight ionomer, a high oxygen permeable ionomer (HOPI), or a combination thereof.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein the graphene-based layer includes a graphene-based material and an ionomer material configured to bind the graphene-based material, a weight ratio of the ionomer material to the graphene-based material is 1:10 to 10:1.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the graphene-based layer is 0.1 to 5.0 μm.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein the graphene-based layer includes a graphene oxide material or a functionalized graphene-oxide material.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein the graphene-based layer is commingled with the anode and/or cathode catalyst layers.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein the graphene-based layer is only disposed between the cathode catalyst layer and the electrolyte membrane layer.

### Claim 11

An electrochemical cell comprising:
an anode catalyst layer;
a cathode catalyst layer;
an electrolyte membrane layer extending between the anode catalyst layer and the cathode catalyst layer; and
a graphene-based layer disposed between the cathode catalyst layer and the electrolyte membrane layer and/or the anode catalyst layer and the electrolyte membrane layer, the graphene-based layer is separate and discrete from the anode catalyst layer, the cathode catalyst layer, and the electrolyte membrane layer, the graphene-based layer is configured to suppress crossover gases to enhance performance of the electrochemical cell.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The electrochemical cell of claim 11, wherein the contents of the graphene-based layer does not commingle with the contents of the anode catalyst layer, the cathode catalyst layer, or the electrolyte membrane layer upon fabrication of the electrochemical cell.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The electrochemical cell of claim 11, wherein the graphene-based layer includes sublayers of graphene-based flakes forming a stacked configuration of the sublayers of the graphene-based flakes.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The electrochemical cell of claim 13, wherein the graphene-based flakes in the graphene-based sublayers are substantially parallel to each other in the stacked configuration.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The electrochemical cell of claim 13, wherein the sublayers of the graphene-based flakes are bound by an ionomer material configured to maintain the stacked configuration of the sublayers of the graphene-based flakes.

### Claim 16

An electrochemical cell comprising:
an anode catalyst layer;
a cathode catalyst layer;
an electrolyte membrane layer extending between the anode catalyst layer and the cathode catalyst layer; and
a graphene-based layer disposed between the cathode catalyst layer and the electrolyte membrane layer and/or the anode catalyst layer and the electrolyte membrane layer, the graphene-based layer includes first regions of single layer graphene flakes and second regions of stacks of multi-layer graphene flakes, the graphene-based layer is configured to suppress crossover gases to enhance performance of the electrochemical cell.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The electrochemical cell of claim 16, wherein the graphene flakes in the first and second regions are graphene oxide flakes.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The electrochemical cell of claim 16, wherein the graphene flakes are bound by an ionomer material configured to maintain the first regions of single layer graphene flakes and the second regions of stacks of multi-layer graphene flakes.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The electrochemical cell of claim 18, wherein the ionomer material includes a Nafion ionomer, a Nafion-based material, a polyfluoropolymer, a low equivalent weight ionomer, a high oxygen permeable ionomer (HOPI), or a combination thereof.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The electrochemical cell of claim 16, wherein the graphene-based layer includes a graphene-based material and an ionomer material configured to bind the graphene-based material, a weight ratio of the ionomer material to the graphene-based material is 0.5:1 to 5:1.