Electrochemical device and method for operation thereof
AssigneeSony Corporation
InventorKoichiro Hinokuma
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Abstract
An electrochemical device (or a fuel cell) which comprises a negative electrode, a positive electrode, and a proton conducting portion held between these two electrodes, said proton conducting portion being a fullerenol electrolyte, said negative electrode having a fuel supply port through which methanol and water are fed. The electrochemical device is based on combination of the solid electrolyte and the direct methanol method (in which methanol is directly oxidized with water). It generates a high electric power without cross-over, it achieves improved fuel efficiency, and it permits selection from a broad range of electrode catalysts.
Claims16
An electrochemical device comprising:
- a first electrode, a second electrode, and a proton conducting material held between these two electrodes, said proton conducting material containing as a major component a fullerene derivative having proton-dissociating groups introduced into the carbon atoms of fullerene, and said first electrode permitting reaction between methanol and water for proton generation.
A method of operating an electrochemical device having a first electrode, a second electrode, and a proton conducting material held between these two electrodes, said proton conducting material containing as a major component a fullerene derivative having proton-dissociating groups introduced into the carbon atoms of fullerene, said method comprising supplying the first electrode with methanol and water for their reaction to generate protons.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.