Self supporting structurally engineered non-platinum electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction in fuel cells
AssigneeStc.Unm
InventorsTim Olson, Plamen Atanassov
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A highly dispersed, unsupported, electrocatalyst made of pyrolyzed porphyries and a method for synthesizing the same. The disclosed synthesis procedure allows for optimization of pore size and therefore transport properties. Compounds suitable for use include transition metal N4-chelates such as, but not necessarily limited to, N4-chelates containing different metal centers including Co, Fe, Mn, Ni, Ru, Cu, etc., and other N4-chelates such as porphyrin, phthalocyanies, and structures based on their pyro products.
Claims17
A method for producing a non-platinum electrocatalyst suitable for use in a fuel cell comprising:
- providing a plurality of removable template particles;
- precipitating a transition metal N4-chelate precursor made of 50:50 molar percent H2 tetraphenyl porphyrin and cobalt tetraphenyl porphyrin onto the plurality of removable template particles to produce a dispersed precursor;
- pyrolyzing the dispersed precursor to produce a pyropolymer;
- and
- removing the template particles to produce a highly dispersed, self supported, high surface area electrocatalytic material;
- wherein the removable template particles and N4-chelate precursors are selected for use so as to shift the reaction mechanism of the electrocatalytic material towards the 4 e- pathway.
A highly dispersed, unsupported catalytic material substantially consisting of pyrolyzed porphyries formed from a precursor made of 50:50 molar percent H2 tetraphenyl porphyrin and cobalt tetraphenyl porphyrin.
A method for producing a non-platinum electrocatalyst suitable for use in a fuel cell comprising:
- providing a plurality of removable template particles;
- precipitating a transition metal N4-chelate precursor made of 50:50 molar percent H2 tetraphenyl porphyrin and cobalt tetraphenyl porphyrin onto the plurality of removable template particles to produce a dispersed precursor;
- pyrolyzing the dispersed precursor to produce a pyropolymer;
- and
- removing the template particles to produce a highly dispersed, self supported, high surface area electrocatalytic material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.