Conducting metal oxide and metal nitride nanoparticles
AssigneeCornell University
InventorsFrancis J. DiSalvo, Jr., Chinmayee V. Subban
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Conducting metal oxide and nitride nanoparticles that can be used in fuel cell applications. The metal oxide nanoparticles are comprised of for example, titanium, niobium, tantalum, tungsten and combinations thereof. The metal nitride nanoparticles are comprised of, for example, titanium, niobium, tantalum, tungsten, zirconium, and combinations thereof. The nanoparticles can be sintered to provide conducting porous agglomerates of the nanoparticles which can be used as a catalyst support in fuel cell applications. Further, platinum nanoparticles, for example, can be deposited on the agglomerates to provide a material that can be used as both an anode and a cathode catalyst support in a fuel cell.
Claims18
Conducting metal oxide and/or metal nitride nanoparticles,
- wherein the metal oxide comprises a metal selected from titanium, niobium, tantalum, tungsten and combinations thereof, and oxygen,
- wherein the metal nitride comprises a metal selected from titanium, niobium, tantalum, tungsten, zirconium, and combinations thereof, and nitrogen,
- wherein the metal oxide nanoparticles have at least one metal that has at least one valence electron available for conduction,
- wherein the nanoparticles have a conductivity of at least 0.5 S/cm,
- wherein the nanoparticles have a rutile structure, and
- wherein the length of the longest axis of the nanoparticles is 20 nm to 200 nm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.