Ion scavenging agent in fuel cell electrodes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11355771-B2
Application number	US-201916724062-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2019
Priority date	Dec 20, 2019
Publication date	Jun 7, 2022
Grant date	Jun 7, 2022

Abstract

A fuel cell including an anode side including an anode, an anode side gas diffusion layer and an anode side bipolar plate formed of a first metal material, and a cathode side including a cathode, a cathode side gas diffusion layer and a cathode side bipolar plate formed of a second metal material. The fuel cell also includes a membrane having first and second sides positioned between the anode and cathode sides. The fuel cell further includes an intercalation host situated in the anode and/or cathode sides. The intercalation host is configured to intercalate metal ions formed from the first and/or second metal materials.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell comprising:
an anode side including an anode, an anode side gas diffusion layer and an anode side bipolar plate formed of a first metal material;
a cathode side including a cathode, a cathode side gas diffusion layer and a cathode side bipolar plate formed of a second metal material;
a membrane having first and second sides positioned between the anode and cathode sides, the anode side bipolar plate positioned adjacent the anode side gas diffusion layer opposite the membrane, the cathode side bipolar plate positioned adjacent the cathode side gas diffusion layer opposite the membrane; and
an intercalation host situated in the anode and/or cathode sides and configured to intercalate metal ions formed from the first and/or second metal materials, the intercalation host includes a layered double hydroxide.

2. The fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the anode and/or cathode including one or more active materials, one or more conductivity agents, one or more polymeric binders, and/or one or more other components.

3. The fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the intercalation host is incorporated into the anode and/or cathode.

4. The fuel cell of claim 3 , wherein a loading of the intercalation host incorporated into the anode and/or cathode is in a range of 0.01 to 100 mg/cm 2 .

5. The fuel cell of claim 3 , wherein the intercalation host is configured to operate within a water stability window in a range of −0.5 to 1.5 V in comparison to a standard hydrogen electrode.

6. The fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the intercalation host includes Prussian blue or an analog thereof.

7. A fuel cell comprising:
an anode side including an anode, an anode side gas diffusion layer and an anode side bipolar plate formed of a first metal material;
a cathode side including a cathode, a cathode side gas diffusion layer and a cathode side bipolar plate formed of a second metal material;
a membrane having first and second sides positioned between the anode and cathode sides, the anode side bipolar plate positioned adjacent the anode side gas diffusion layer opposite the membrane, the cathode side bipolar plate positioned adjacent the cathode side gas diffusion layer opposite the membrane; and
an intercalation host configured to intercalate metal ions formed from the first and/or second metal materials, the intercalation host includes a layered double hydroxide.

8. The fuel cell of claim 7 , wherein the anode and/or cathode includes one or more active materials, one or more conductivity agents, one or more polymeric binders, and/or one or more other components.

9. The fuel cell of claim 7 , wherein the intercalation host is configured to operate within a water stability window in a range of −0.5 to 1.5 V in comparison to a standard hydrogen electrode.

10. The fuel cell of claim 7 , further comprising an anode side microporous layer situated between the anode side gas diffusion layer and the anode and a cathode side microporous layer situated between the cathode side gas diffusion layer and the cathode.

11. The fuel cell of claim 7 , wherein the loading of the intercalation host is in a range of 0.01 to 100 mg/cm 2 .

12. The fuel cell of claim 7 , wherein the intercalation host includes Prussian blue or an analog thereof.

13. A fuel cell comprising:
an anode side including an anode, an anode side gas diffusion layer and an anode side bipolar plate formed of a first metal material;
a cathode side including a cathode, a cathode side gas diffusion layer and a cathode side bipolar plate formed of a second metal material;
a membrane having first and second sides positioned between the anode and cathode sides, the anode side bipolar plate positioned adjacent the anode side gas diffusion layer opposite the membrane, the cathode side bipolar plate positioned adjacent the cathode side gas diffusion layer opposite the membrane; and
a metal ion scavenging agent configured to scavenge metal ions formed from the first and/or second metal materials, the metal ion scavenging agent including a chelating agent, the chelating agent including a porphyrin or a protoporphyrin derivative.

14. The fuel cell of claim 13 , wherein the metal ion scavenging agent covers the entire surface area of the anode and/or cathode gas diffusion layers and the anode and/or cathode bipolar plates, respectively.

15. The fuel cell of claim 13 , wherein the chelating agent i-includes an aminopolycarboxylic acid.

16. The fuel cell of claim 15 , wherein the aminopolycarboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting of: ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid (EDTA), nitrilotriacetic acid (C 6 H 9 NO 6 ) (NTA), trimethylenediminetetraacetic acid, 1,2-dimethylethylenediamine tetraacetic acid, H4L (DMEDTA), ethylenebis(oxyethylenenitrilo)tetraacetic acid (EGTA), and oxybis(ethylenenitrilo)tetraacetic acid (EEDTA) and combinations thereof.

17. The fuel cell of claim 13 , wherein the metal ion scavenging agent is coated on the anode and/or cathode gas diffusion layers to form a metal ion scavenging layer.

18. The fuel cell of claim 13 , wherein the metal ion scavenging layer is situated between the anode and/or cathode gas diffusion layers and the anode and/or cathode bipolar plates, respectively.

19. The fuel cell of claim 13 , wherein the anode and/or cathode including one or more active materials, one or more conductivity agents, one or more polymeric binders, and/or one or more other components.

20. The fuel cell of claim 13 , wherein a loading of the metal ion scavenging agent is in a range of 0.01 to 100 mg/cm 2 .

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Kuppan Saravanan
• Metzger Michael
• Besli Münir M
• Hellstrom Sondra
• Lehre Thilo
• Christensen Jake

Classifications

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/1004

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

• H01M8/04149

  by diffusion, e.g. making use of membranes · CPC title

• H01M4/8663 Primary

  Selection of inactive substances as ingredients for catalytic active masses, e.g. binders, fillers · CPC title

• H01M8/0245

  in the form of layered or coated products · CPC title