Methods for manufacturing electrodes
AssigneesToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsHonghong Lin, Gaohua Zhu, Bjorn Hasa, Wenxiao Deng
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Abstract
A method includes forming a wet electrode by mixing Pt-based/C catalyst nanoparticles with a surface modification agent such that a passivating layer is formed on surfaces of Pt-based nanoparticles of the Pt-based/C catalyst nanoparticles, and mixing the passivated Pt-based/C catalyst nanoparticles with an ionomer. The method also includes drying the wet electrode to form a dry electrode, and electrochemically cycling the dry electrode such that the passivating layer is removed from the surfaces of the Pt-based/C nanoparticles of the dry electrode and a clean dry electrode is formed. Also, the clean dry electrode is assembled into a HC-PEM fuel cell.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- forming a wet electrode comprising mixing Pt-based/C nanoparticles with a surface modification agent and an ionomer, the Pt-based/C nanoparticles comprising Pt-based nanoparticles supported on carbon particles and the surface modification agent forms a passivating layer on the Pt-based nanoparticles;
- drying the wet electrode and forming a dry electrode;
- electrochemically cycling the dry electrode such that the passivating layer is removed from the Pt-based nanoparticles of the dry electrode and a clean dry electrode is formed;
- and
- assembling the clean dry electrode into a fuel cell.
A method comprising:
- forming a wet electrode comprising mixing Pt-based/C nanoparticles with a surface modification agent selected from the group consisting of carbon monoxide, alkylamine, alkyl carboxylic acid, and combinations thereof, the Pt-based/C nanoparticles comprising Pt-based nanoparticles supported on carbon particles and the surface modification agent forms a passivating layer on the Pt-based nanoparticles;
- mixing the passivated Pt-based nanoparticles with an ionomer;
- drying the wet electrode and forming a dry electrode;
- electrochemically cycling the dry electrode such that the passivating layer is removed from the Pt-based nanoparticles of the dry electrode and a clean dry electrode is formed;
- and
- assembling the clean dry electrode into a fuel cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.