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US 8,524,415 B2Granted
Carbon-titanium oxide electrocatalyst supports for oxygen reduction in PEM fuel cells
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsMei Cai, Suresh K. Donthu, Martin S. Ruthkosky, Ion C. Halalay
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A high surface area support material is formed of an intimate mixture of carbon clusters and titanium oxide clusters. A catalytic metal, such as platinum, is deposited on the support particles and the catalyzed material used as an electrocatalyst in an electrochemical cell such as a PEM fuel cell. The composite material is prepared by thermal decomposition and oxidation of an intimate mixture of a precursor carbon polymer, a titanium alkoxide and a surfactant that serves as a molecular template for the mixed precursors.
Claims13
A method comprising:
- forming a dispersion of a carbonizable polymer, a surfactant, and titanium alkoxide in a liquid medium;
- evaporating the liquid medium to leave a material characterized by inter-dispersed clusters of carbon based polymer, surfactant, and titanium oxide;
- heating the material to progressively decompose and volatilize the surfactant and alkoxide residue;
- further heating the material to carbonize the carbonizable polymer, and to yield a porous composite, processing the composite to produce a carbon-titanium oxide substrate material, the proportions of carbonizable polymer and titanium alkoxide being determined to provide a desired carbon to titanium ratio in the carbon-titanium oxide substrate material and depositing platinum on the substrate material, wherein the carbon-titanium oxide substrate material comprises at least on of TiOxC0.65, TiOxC1.3 or TiOxC2.6.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- forming a dispersion of a carbonizable polymer, a surfactant, and titanium alkoxide in a liquid medium;
- evaporating the liquid medium to leave a material characterized by inter-dispersed clusters of carbon based polymer, surfactant, and titanium oxide;
- heating the material to progressively decompose and volatilize the surfactant and alkoxide residue;
- further heating the material to carbonize the carbonizable polymer, and to yield a porous composite of inter-dispersed carbon and titanium oxide, the proportions of carbonizable polymer and titanium alkoxide being determined to provide a desired carbon to titanium ratio in the porous composite, crushing the composite to particles of catalyst support material having a BET surface area of 300-700 m2/g and the particles comprising at least one of-TiOxC0.65, TiOxC1.3 or TiOxC2.6.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.