# US 9,873,102 B2 · Catalytic devices

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 9,873,102 B2
- Document ID: US9873102B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/589,620
- Filed: 2015-01-05
- Published: 2015-07-16
- Granted: 2018-01-23
- Earliest claimed: 2014-01-13
- Assignees: The Regents of the University of California
- Applicants: Ming Liu; Xiang Zhang
- Inventors: Ming Liu; Xiang Zhang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9873102B2

## CPC

- B01J 19/087: {employing electric or magnetic energy}
- B01J 21/08: Silica
- B01J 23/40: of the platinum group metals
- B01J 23/42: Platinum
- B01J 23/70: of the iron group metals or copper
- B01J 23/72: Copper
- B01J 37/0223: {by rotation}
- B01J 37/0225: {of metal substrates}
- C25B 11/081: the element being a noble metal
- B01J 2219/0803: employing electric or magnetic energy
- B01J 2219/0875: Gas
- B01J 2219/0892: involving catalytically active material
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- C25B: ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR (anodic or cathodic protection C23F13/00; single-crystal growth C30B)

## Abstract

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus related to catalytic devices. In one aspect, a device includes a substrate, an electrically insulating layer disposed on the substrate, a layer of material disposed on the electrically insulating layer, and a catalyst disposed on the layer of material. The substrate comprises an electrically conductive material. The substrate and the layer of material are electrically coupled to one another and configured to have a voltage applied across them.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device comprising:
a substrate, the substrate comprising an electrically conductive material;
an electrically insulating layer disposed on the substrate;
a layer of material disposed on the electrically insulating layer, the substrate and the layer of the material electrically coupled to one another and configured to have a voltage applied across them; and
a catalyst disposed on the layer of the material, the catalyst comprising a plurality of islands of catalytic material that are each about one layer or a few layers thick, each island of the plurality of islands of the catalytic material having a dimension substantially parallel to a surface of the layer of the material disposed on the electrically insulating layer of about 1 nanometer to 5 nanometers, the catalyst operable to catalyze a chemical reaction.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the layer of the material disposed on the electrically insulating layer is selected from a group consisting of a monolayer of graphene, a plurality of monolayers of graphene, graphene oxide, molybdenum disulfide, tungsten disulfide, and tungsten diselenide.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the substrate is selected from a group consisting of doped silicon and a metal.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the catalyst is selected from a group consisting of gold, silver, platinum, palladium, nickel, iron, copper, and molybdenum disulfide.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the layer of the material disposed on the electrically insulating layer comprises graphene and is about 0.35 nanometers to 0.7 nanometers thick.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the electrically insulating layer is selected from a group consisting of silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, hafnium oxide, and zirconium oxide.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the electrically insulating layer is about 100 nanometers to 400 nanometers thick.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the each island of the plurality of islands of the catalytic material comprises a nanocluster.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the layer of the material disposed on the electrically insulating layer comprises a two-dimensional material.

### Claim 10

A method comprising:
providing a device including:
a substrate, the substrate comprising an electrically conductive material;
an electrically insulating layer disposed on the substrate;
a layer of material disposed on the electrically insulating layer, the substrate and the layer of the material electrically coupled to one another; and
a catalyst disposed on the layer of the material, the catalyst comprising a plurality of islands of catalytic material that are each about one layer or a few layers thick, each island of the plurality of islands of the catalytic material having a dimension substantially parallel to a surface of the layer of the material disposed on the electrically insulating layer of about 1 nanometer to 5 nanometers; and
applying a voltage across the substrate and the layer of the material, the voltage changing a charge of the catalyst; and
catalyzing a chemical reaction with the catalyst.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein changing the charge of the catalyst lowers the activation energy of the chemical reaction that the catalyst catalyzes.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the voltage is about 50 volts to 200 volts.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
changing the voltage applied across the substrate and the layer of the material disposed on the electrically insulating layer, wherein changing the voltage changes the charge of the catalyst and changes a reaction rate of the chemical reaction that the catalyst catalyzes.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the catalyst is selected from a group consisting of gold, silver, platinum, palladium, nickel, iron, copper, and molybdenum disulfide.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the layer of the material disposed on the electrically insulating layer is selected from a group consisting of a monolayer of graphene, a plurality of monolayers of graphene, graphene oxide, molybdenum disulfide, tungsten disulfide, and tungsten diselenide.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the layer of the material disposed on the electrically insulating layer comprises graphene and is about 0.35 nanometers to 0.7 nanometers thick.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the electrically insulating layer is selected from a group consisting of silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, hafnium oxide, and zirconium oxide.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein each island of the plurality of islands of the catalyst material comprises about 1 atom to 1×106 atoms.

### Claim 19 (depends on 10)

The device of claim 10, wherein the each island of the plurality of islands of the catalytic material comprises a nanocluster.

### Claim 20

A device comprising:
a substrate, the substrate comprising an electrically conductive material;
an electrically insulating layer disposed on the substrate;
a layer of material disposed on the electrically insulating layer, the substrate and the layer of the material electrically coupled to one another and configured to have a voltage applied across them; and
a catalyst disposed on the layer of the material, the catalyst comprising a plurality of islands of catalytic material comprising gold nanoclusters, each island of the plurality of islands of the catalytic material having a dimension substantially parallel to a surface of the layer of the material disposed on the electrically insulating layer of about 1 nanometer to 5 nanometers, the catalyst operable to catalyze a chemical reaction.