Methods and systems for production of doped carbon nanomaterials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11746424-B2
Application number	US-202218053267-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2022
Priority date	Feb 21, 2017
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

A system and process for producing doped carbon nanomaterials is disclosed. A carbonate electrolyte including a doping component is provided during the electrolysis between an anode and a cathode immersed in carbonate electrolyte contained in a cell. The carbonate electrolyte is heated to a molten state. An electrical current is applied to the anode, and cathode, to the molten carbonate electrolyte disposed between the anode and cathode. A morphology element maximizes carbon nanotubes, versus graphene versus carbon nano-onion versus hollow carbon nano-sphere nanomaterial product. The resulting carbon nanomaterial growth is collected from the cathode of the cell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing a carbon nanomaterial comprising carbon nano-onions, the method comprising steps of:
a. heating a carbonate electrolyte to obtain a molten carbonate electrolyte;
b. disposing the molten carbonate electrolyte between an anode and a cathode in a cell;
c. including a nano-onion selection component in the cell;
d. excluding a nucleating agent from the cell;
e. applying an electrical current to the cathode and the anode in the cell; and
f. collecting carbon nano-onion growth from the cathode of the cell.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of including a nano-onion selection component in the cell comprises adding zinc to the electrolyte.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the nano-onion selection component is zinc oxide that is added to the electrolyte.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of including a nano-onion selection component in the cell comprises using a cathode that comprises zinc.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the cathode comprises zinc cobalt.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the cathode comprises zinc-coated steel.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein the anode comprises a noble-like oxygen anode.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the noble-like oxygen anode comprises iridium.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of applying an electrical current comprises applying an alternating current.

10. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of applying an electrical current comprises applying an alternating current.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cathode comprises copper and the electrical current has a current density of at least 0.2 A/cm 2 .

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the anode comprises nickel.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of adding carbon dioxide to the cell.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cathode and the anode are planar and the step of applying the electrical current is maintained for at least 15 hours.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the planar cathode and the planar anode both have a surface area of 100 cm 2 .

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the planar cathode and the planar anode both have a surface area of 100 cm 2 .

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nano-onion selection component comprises magnesium.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the nano-onion selection component comprises magnesium oxide.

19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of adding a nanomaterial doping component and wherein the carbon nano-onion growth comprises doped carbon nano-onions.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanomaterial doping component comprises at least one material with a group IIIA element, a non-carbon group IVA element, a group VA element, a group VIA chalcogenide element, or at least one material with gold, platinum, iridium, iron or other row 4, 5, or 6 metals.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the doped carbon nano-onions have desired chemical physical properties that are different from a dopant-free carbon nano-onions, and wherein the desired chemical physical properties are a catalytic property of: a heterogeneous catalytic property, a homogeneous catalytic property, a fuel cell catalytic property, an aerobic oxidation catalytic property, an enhanced reaction activity property and any combination thereof.

22. The method of claim 19 , wherein the nanomaterial doping component is added by at least one of a solid electrolyte additive, a liquid electrolyte additive, a gas electrolyte additive, a cathode material, or an anode material.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the nanomaterial doping component is a solid salt, an element, or a covalent compound, wherein the doping component is dissolved, reacted or suspended in the electrolyte.

24. The method of claim 19 , wherein the step of adding a nanomaterial doping component comprises adding more than one nanomaterial doping component.

Assignees

• C2Cnt Llc

Inventors

• Licht Stuart

Classifications

• C25B9/09

  Fused bath cells · CPC title

• C25B1/135 Primary

  Carbon · CPC title

• C01B32/184 Primary

  Preparation · CPC title

• C01B32/15

  Nano-sized carbon materials · CPC title

• C25B9/17

  Cells comprising dimensionally-stable non-movable electrodes; Assemblies of constructional parts thereof · CPC title