Magnetically enhanced composite materials and methods for making and using the same
AssigneeUniversity of Iowa Research Foundation
InventorsSudath Amarasinghe, Shelley Minteer, Lois Anne Zook, Drew C. Dunwoody, Catherine Spolar, Hachull Chung, Johna Leddy
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Abstract
Materials and methods for making and using magnetically enhanced composite materials are provided. Surfaces coated with such composites can be used to improve fuel cells, material separators, and other applications. A variety of devices can incorporate such composites, including fuel cells, separators, batteries, and electrodes that effect electrolysis of magnetic species.
Claims25
A magnetic fuel cell with enhanced function due to effecting at least one otherwise quantum mechanically spin forbidden or kinetically disfavored chemical reaction, comprising:
- an electrode system, comprising
- a cathode having a cathode surface,
- an anode having an anode surface,
- a microstructured magnetic composite material disposed on at least one of said anode surface and said cathode surface, and
- a separator disposed between the anode and the cathode,
- wherein
- when
- an oxidant is reduced at the cathode, and
- a fuel is oxidized at the anode,
- then
- a first electrical current flows between the cathode and the anode, wherein the first electrical current has a magnitude which is greater than a second electrical current produced by a conventional nonmagnetic fuel cell.
A magnetic fuel cell with enhanced function due to effecting at least one otherwise quantum mechanically spin forbidden or kinetically disfavored chemical reaction, comprising:
- an electrode system, comprising
- a cathode, having a cathode surface,
- an anode, having an anode surface, and
- a separator disposed between the anode and the cathode;
- a first material having a first magnetism;
- a second material having a second magnetism;
- a magnetic field source adapted to produce a magnetic field in at least a portion of said electrode system;
- and
- a microstructured magnetic composite material, comprising
- an arrangement of said first and second materials, and
- a plurality of boundaries between said first and second materials, wherein each boundary
- is adapted to provide a plurality of paths through the microstructured magnetic composite material, and
- has at least one said magnetic field within at least one of said plurality of paths;
- the microstructured magnetic composite material is disposed on at least one of the surface of the anode or the surface of the cathode to create an electrode surface coating;
- and
- when an oxidant is reduced at the cathode, and a fuel is oxidized at the anode, a first electrical current flows between the cathode and the anode, wherein
- the first electrical current has a magnitude which is greater than a second electrical current produced by a conventional nonmagnetic fuel cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.