Membrane electrode assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10256491-B2
Application number	US-201515309942-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2015
Priority date	May 20, 2014
Publication date	Apr 9, 2019
Grant date	Apr 9, 2019

Abstract

The invention includes a catalysed membrane and membrane electrode assembly. The membrane and membrane electrode assembly comprise an ion-conducting membrane component comprising an ion-conducting membrane, an anode catalyst layer, and a cathode catalyst layer. The anode catalyst layer comprises a first electrocatalyst component comprising a first platinum-containing electrocatalyst and a first carbon support. The first carbon support supports the first platinum-containing electrocatalyst, and the electrochemical platinum surface area in the anode catalyst layer is 5-100 cm 2 Pt/cm 2 of the geometric electrode area of the anode catalyst layer. The cathode catalyst layer comprises a second electrocatalyst component and a second oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalyst. The second electrocatalyst component comprises a second platinum-containing electrocatalyst and a second carbon support, wherein the second carbon support supports the second platinum-containing electrocatalyst component.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A catalysed membrane comprising:
(i) an ion-conducting membrane component having a first face and a second face, wherein the ion-conducting membrane component comprises an ion-conducting membrane;
(ii) an anode catalyst layer on the first face of the ion-conducting membrane component, wherein the anode catalyst layer comprises:
(a) a first electrocatalyst component comprising a first platinum-containing electrocatalyst and a first carbon support, wherein the first carbon support supports the first platinum-containing electrocatalyst; and
wherein the electrochemical platinum surface area in the anode catalyst layer is 5-100 cm 2 Pt/cm 2 of the geometric electrode area of the anode catalyst layer; and,

(iii) a cathode catalyst layer on the second face of the ion-conducting membrane component, wherein the cathode catalyst layer comprises:
(a) a second electrocatalyst component comprising a second platinum-containing electrocatalyst and a second carbon support, wherein the second carbon support supports the second platinum-containing electrocatalyst component; and,
(b) an oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalyst.

2. The catalysed membrane according to claim 1 , wherein the anode catalyst layer comprises a first oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalyst.

3. The catalysed membrane according to claim 1 , wherein the anode catalyst layer comprises a first hydrogen peroxide decomposition catalyst.

4. The catalysed membrane according to claim 1 , wherein the cathode catalyst layer comprises a hydrogen peroxide decomposition catalyst.

5. The catalysed membrane according to claim 1 , wherein the ion-conducting membrane component comprises a hydrogen peroxide decomposition catalyst.

6. The catalysed membrane according to claim 1 , wherein the ion-conducting membrane component comprises a hydrogen/oxygen recombination catalyst.

7. A membrane electrode assembly comprising:
(i) an ion-conducting membrane component having a first face and a second face, wherein the ion-conducting membrane component comprises an ion-conducting membrane;
(ii) an anode catalyst layer on the first face of the ion-conducting membrane component, wherein the anode catalyst layer comprises:
(a) a first electrocatalyst component comprising a first platinum-containing electrocatalyst and a first carbon support, wherein the first carbon support supports the first platinum-containing electrocatalyst; and
wherein the electrochemical platinum surface area in the anode catalyst layer is 5-100 cm 2 Pt/cm 2 of the geometric electrode area of the anode catalyst layer; and,

(iii) a cathode catalyst layer on the second face of the ion-conducting membrane component, wherein the cathode catalyst layer comprises:
(a) a second electrocatalyst component comprising a second platinum-containing electrocatalyst and a second carbon support, wherein the second carbon support supports the second platinum-containing electrocatalyst component;
(b) a oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalyst;

(iv) an anode gas diffusion layer on a face of the anode catalyst layer not in contact with the first face of the ion-conducting membrane; and
(v) a cathode gas diffusion layer on a face of the cathode catalyst layer not in contact with the second face of the ion-conducting membrane.

8. The catalysed membrane according to claim 1 , wherein the oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalyst comprises ruthenium or ruthenium oxide or iridium or iridium oxide or mixtures thereof or the oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalyst comprises a crystalline mixed metal oxide of formula (AA′) a (BB′) b O c wherein A and A′ are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, sodium, potassium, indium, thallium, tin, lead, antimony, and bismuth; B is selected from the group consisting of Ru, Ir, Os, and Rh; B′ is selected from the group consisting of Ru, Ir, Os, Rh, Ca, Mg, and a rare earth metal; c is from 3-11; the atomic ratio of (a+b) :c is from 1: 1 to 1:2; the atomic ratio of a: b is from 1:1.5 to 1.5:1.

9. The membrane electrode assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalyst comprises ruthenium or ruthenium oxide or iridium or iridium oxide or mixtures thereof or the oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalyst comprises a crystalline mixed metal oxide of formula (AA′) a (BB′) b O c wherein A and A′ are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, sodium, potassium, indium, thallium, tin, lead, antimony, and bismuth; B is selected from the group consisting of Ru, Ir, Os, and Rh; B′ is selected from the group consisting of Ru, Ir, Os, Rh, Ca, Mg, and a rare earth metal; c is from 3-11; the atomic ratio of (a+b):c is from 1:1 to 1:2; the atomic ratio of a:b is from 1:1.5 to 1.5:1.

Assignees

• Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells Ltd

Inventors

• O'Malley Rachel Louise

Classifications

• H01M4/926

  on carbon or graphite · CPC title

• H01M4/92

  Metals of platinum group (H01M4/94 {, H01M4/9058} take precedence) · CPC title

• H01M8/1004 Primary

  characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] (H01M8/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title