Method for producing fuel cell catalyst, and fuel cell catalyst produced thereby

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11374230-B2
Application number	US-201816620717-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 6, 2018
Priority date	Sep 19, 2017
Publication date	Jun 28, 2022
Grant date	Jun 28, 2022

Abstract

A method for preparing a catalyst for a fuel cell including performing a first supporting; separating particles unsupported in the first supporting; heat treating; and performing a second supporting, and a catalyst for a fuel cell prepared using the same.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for preparing a catalyst for a fuel cell comprising steps of:
(a) forming a polymer layer on a support,
wherein the forming of the polymer layer is carried out by coating a polymer solution including a polymer on the support, the polymer comprising one or more selected from the group consisting of poly(4-vinylpyridine) or poly(allylamine hydrochloride);
(b) preparing a support-nanoparticle composite by supporting metal nanoparticles on the polymer layer-formed support;
(c) separating unsupported particles from the result of the support-nanoparticle composite;
(d) heat treating the support-nanoparticle composite from which the unsupported particles have been separated, wherein the heat treating is carried out at a temperature of 400° C. to 600° C.; and
(e) supporting the separated unsupported particles on the heat-treated support-nanoparticle composite.

2. The method for preparing a catalyst for a fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein step (b) is carried out using a first composition including the polymer layer-formed support; a metal precursor; and a first solvent.

3. The method for preparing a catalyst for a fuel cell of claim 2 , wherein the metal precursor is a platinum (Pt) precursor.

4. The method for preparing a catalyst for a fuel cell of claim 2 , wherein the first solvent comprises one or more solvent selected from the group consisting of water, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol and propylene glycol.

5. The method for preparing a catalyst for a fuel cell of claim 2 , wherein step (b) includes adjusting a pH of the first composition to 8 to 12.

6. The method for preparing a catalyst for a fuel cell of claim 2 , wherein the first composition further comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide (NaOH), barium hydroxide (Ba(OH) 2 ), potassium hydroxide (KOH), calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH) 2 ) and lithium hydroxide (LiOH).

7. The method for preparing a catalyst for a fuel cell of claim 1 , further comprising, washing and drying the support-nanoparticle composite after step (b) and before step (c).

8. The method for preparing a catalyst for a fuel cell of claim 1 , further comprising cooling immediately after heat treating the support-nanoparticle composite in step (d) and before step (e).

9. The method for preparing a catalyst for a fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein step (e) is carried out using a second composition including the heat-treated support-nanoparticle composite; the separated unsupported particles; and a second solvent.

10. The method for preparing a catalyst for a fuel cell of claim 9 , wherein the second solvent is water, and the second composition further includes nitric acid.

11. A catalyst for a fuel cell prepared using the preparation method of claim 1 .

12. A membrane-electrode assembly comprising:
an electrode catalyst layer including the catalyst for a fuel cell of claim 11 ; and
an electrolyte membrane.

13. A fuel cell comprising the membrane-electrode assembly of claim 12 .

Assignees

• Lg Chemical Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Wonkyun
• Kim Sang Hoon
• Hwang Gyo Hyun
• Cho Jun Yeon
• Kim Kwanghyun
• Choi Ran

Classifications

• H01M4/925 Primary

  supported on carriers, e.g. powder carriers · CPC title

• B82Y40/00

  Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures · CPC title

• H01M8/1018

  Polymeric electrolyte materials · CPC title

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M4/9075

  Catalytic material supported on carriers, e.g. powder carriers (H01M4/8807, H01M4/881, H01M4/8814, H01M4/925 take precedence) · CPC title