Fuel cell and method for manufacturing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10693147-B2
Application number	US-201415034304-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2014
Priority date	Nov 8, 2013
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

The present specification relates to a fuel cell and a method for manufacturing the same.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel cell comprising:
a cathode;
an anode; and
an electrolyte membrane provided between the cathode and the anode,
wherein at least one of the cathode and the anode includes an electrode catalyst,
wherein the electrode catalyst includes hollow metal nanoparticles including a hollow core unit and a shell unit including a first metal and a second metal,
wherein the hollow metal nanoparticles have an average particle diameter of 30 nm or less,
wherein the first metal is platinum (Pt) and the second metal is selected from the group consisting of Ni (nickel), cobalt (Co), iron (Fe), and copper (Cu),
wherein at least two major peaks representing atomic percentage of at least any one of the first metal and the second metal are present in elemental analysis data of the hollow metal nanoparticles,
wherein at least one major peak representing the atomic percentage is present within a 30% region from one end point of the particle diameter, and at least another major peak representing the atomic percentage is present within a 30% region from another end point of the particle diameter, and
wherein the shell unit is a single layer comprising the first metal and the second metal or the shell unit comprises a first shell formed with the first metal and a second shell formed with the second metal.

2. The fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the shell unit of the hollow metal nanoparticles has a thickness of 5 nm or less.

3. The fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the hollow core has a volume of 50% by volume or greater with respect to a total volume of the hollow metal nanoparticles.

4. The fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein particle diameters of the hollow metal nanoparticles are within a 80% to 120% range of the average particle diameter of the hollow metal nanoparticles.

5. The fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the electrode catalyst includes a carrier-hollow metal nanoparticle complex in which the hollow metal nanoparticles are supported on a carrier.

6. The fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein at least one major peak representing atomic percentage of the first metal is present within a 30% region from one end point of the particle diameter, and at least one another major peak representing atomic percentage of the first metal is present within a 30% region from the other end point of the particle diameter.

7. The fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein at least one major peak representing atomic percentage of the second metal is present within a 30% region from one end point of the particle diameter, and at least one another major peak representing atomic percentage of the second metal is present within a 30% region from the other end point of the particle diameter.

8. The fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the hollow metal nanoparticles have a globular shape.

9. A method for manufacturing a fuel cell comprising:
preparing an electrode catalyst including hollow metal nanoparticles that include a hollow core unit and a shell unit including a first metal and a second metal;
preparing an electrolyte membrane;
forming a cathode on one surface of the electrolyte membrane; and
forming an anode on the other side of the electrolyte membrane,
wherein the hollow metal nanoparticles have an average particle diameter of 30 nm or less, and at least one of the forming of a cathode and the forming of an anode uses the electrode catalyst,
wherein the first metal is platinum (Pt) and the second metal is selected from the group consisting of Ni (nickel), cobalt (Co), iron (Fe), and copper (Cu),
wherein at least two major peaks representing atomic percentage of at least any one of the first metal and the second metal are present in elemental analysis data of the hollow metal nanoparticles,
wherein at least one major peak representing the atomic percentage is present within a 30% region from one end point of the particle diameter, and at least another major peak representing the atomic percentage is present within a 30% region from another end point of the particle diameter, and
wherein the shell unit is formed as a single layer by mixing the first metal and the second metal or the shell unit is formed to include a first shell formed with the first metal and a second shell formed with the second metal.

10. The method for manufacturing a fuel cell of claim 9 , wherein the preparing of an electrode catalyst includes forming a solution by adding a first metal salt, a second metal salt and a surfactant to a solvent; and forming hollow metal nanoparticles by adding a reducing agent to the solution,
the forming of a solution includes the surfactant forming a micelle, and the first metal salt and the second metal salt surrounding outside the micelle, and
the forming of hollow metal nanoparticles includes the micelle region being formed to a cavity.

11. The method for manufacturing a fuel cell of claim 9 , wherein the preparing of an electrode catalyst includes forming a solution by adding a first metal salt, a second metal salt and a surfactant to a solvent; forming hollow metal nanoparticles by adding a reducing agent to the solution; and forming a carrier-hollow metal nanoparticle complex by supporting the hollow metal nanoparticles on a carrier,
the forming of a solution includes the surfactant forming a micelle, and the first metal salt and the second metal salt surrounding outside the micelle, and
the forming of hollow metal nanoparticles includes the micelle region being formed to a cavity.

12. The method for manufacturing a fuel cell of claim 9 , wherein the preparing of an electrode catalyst includes forming a solution by adding a first metal salt, a second metal salt and a surfactant to a solvent; adding a carrier to the solution for dispersion; and forming a carrier-hollow metal nanoparticle complex in which the hollow metal nanoparticles are supported on the carrier by adding a reducing agent to the solution,
the forming of a solution includes the surfactant forming a micelle, and the first metal salt and the second metal salt surrounding outside the micelle, and
the hollow metal nanoparticles includes the micelle region being formed to a cavity.

13. The method for manufacturing a fuel cell of claim 10 , wherein the first metal salt and the second metal salt have a molar ratio of 1:5 to 10:1.

14. The method for manufacturing a fuel cell of claim 10 , wherein a concentration of the surfactant is greater than or equal to 1 time and less than or equal to 5 times of a critical micelle concentration (CMC) for the solvent.

15. The method for manufacturing a fuel cell of claim 10 , wherein the solvent includes water.

16. The method for manufacturing a fuel cell of claim 10 , wherein the preparing of an electrode catalyst is carried out at room temperature.

Assignees

• Lg Chemical Ltd

Inventors

• Cho Jun Yeon
• Kim Sang Hoon
• Hwang Gyo Hyun
• Kim Kwanghyun

Classifications

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M4/8647

  consisting of more than one material, e.g. consisting of composites · CPC title

• H01M4/9041

  Metals or alloys (H01M4/92 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M4/88

  Processes of manufacture · CPC title

• H01M4/8642

  Gradient in composition · CPC title