Electrocatalyst for water electrolysis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11585000-B2
Application number	US-201916602420-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2019
Priority date	Oct 4, 2018
Publication date	Feb 21, 2023
Grant date	Feb 21, 2023

Abstract

A cathode is provided for electrolysis of water wherein the cathode material comprises a multi-principal element, transition metal dichalcogenide material that has four or more chemical elements and that is a single phase, solid solution. The pristine cathode material does not contain platinum as a principal (major) component. However, a cathode comprising a transition metal dichalcogenide having platinum (Pt) nanosized islands or precipitates disposed thereon is also provided.

First claim

We claim:

1. A water electrolysis cell, comprising an anode, a cathode, and an electrical power source wherein the cathode is comprised of an electrode material for effecting a hydrogen evolution reaction via water electrolysis and comprising a single, solid solution phase consisting of a transition metal chalcogen phase devoid of a non-transition metal chalcogen phase, represented by the general formula of:
(M a 1 M b 2 M c 3 . . . M n )(X 1 A X 2 B X 3 C ),
wherein M 1 , M 2 , M 3 . . . M n each represents a different transition metal and wherein at least three transition metals are present and the sum of a+b+c . . . n is between 1 and 3, wherein X 1 , X 2 , X 3 each represents a chalcogen element selected from the group consisting of S as X 1 A , Se as X 2 B , and Te as X 3 C wherein the chalcogen element includes S alone or S and at least one of Se and Te and wherein the sum of A+B+C is between 2 and 6 with the proviso that Se is present only together with S as A+B=2, and wherein the material does not contain platinum as a principal (major) component and exhibits a stable overpotential during water electrolysis at room temperature.

2. The electrolysis cell of claim 1 wherein the electrode material comprises three group 4 and/or group 5 transition metals, and/or group 6 transition metal, and/or group 9 transition metal, and/or group 10 transition metal.

3. The electrolysis cell of claim 1 wherein the electrode material contains Ta as a transition metal.

4. The electrolysis cell of claim 3 wherein the electrode material that comprises at least one of (W 0.4 Mo 0.4 Ta 0.2 )S 2 , (W 0.475 Mo 0.475 Ta 0.05 )S 2 , Mo 0.475 W 0.475 Ta 0.05 )SSe and (Mo 0.4 W 0.4 Ta 0.2 )SSe.

5. The electrolysis cell of claim 1 wherein the electrode material comprises particles of the size between 0.6 nm and 5 micron (5000 nm) in at least one dimension.

6. The electrolysis cell of claim 1 wherein the electrode material comprises particles of the size between 0.6 nm and 5 micron (5000 nm) in one dimension and more than 1 micron (5000 nm) in the second and/or third dimensions wherein the particles include at least one of nano plates, micro plates, rods, wires, tubes, and thin films.

7. The electrolysis cell of claim 1 wherein the electrode material exhibits an overpotential below 0.5 V vs the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) at 10 mA/cm 2 current density during electrolysis of water in acidic environment at room temperature.

8. The electrolysis cell of claim 1 wherein the electrode material exhibits an overpotential below 0.1 V vs the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) at 10 mA/cm 2 current density during electrolysis of water in acidic environment at room temperature.

9. The electrolysis cell of claim 1 wherein the electrode material exhibits at least one of metallic electrical resistivity and semi-metallic electrical resistivity.

10. The electrolysis cell of claim 1 wherein the electrode material contains at least three transition metals selected from the group Cr, Mo, W, Ta, Nb, V, Hf, Zr, Pd, and Pt.

11. The electrolysis cell of claim 1 wherein the transition metal chalcogen phase of the cathode includes Ta as a transition metal.

12. The electrolysis cell of claim 11 wherein the cathode comprises at least one of (W 0.4 Mo 0.4 Ta 0.2 )S 2 , (W 0.475 Mo 0.475 Ta 0.05 )S 2 , Mo 0.475 W 0.475 Ta 0.05 )SSe and (Mo 0.4 W 0.4 Ta 0.2 )SSe.

Assignees

• Univ Iowa State Res Found Inc

Inventors

• Balema Viktor
• Padalkar Sonal
• Hlova Ihor
• Lan Tian
• Dolotko Oleksandr
• Pecharsky Vitalij K
• Johnson Duane D
• Pathak Arjun K
• Singh Prashant

Classifications

• Y02E60/36

  Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis · CPC title

• C25D3/50

  of platinum group metals · CPC title

• C25B1/04 Primary

  by electrolysis of water · CPC title

• C25B11/091

  consisting of at least one catalytic element and at least one catalytic compound; consisting of two or more catalytic elements or catalytic compounds · CPC title

• C23C18/42

  Coating with noble metals · CPC title