Nanostructured whisker article

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015311536-A1
Application number	US-201314652275-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 16, 2013
Priority date	Dec 19, 2012
Publication date	Oct 29, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

In one aspect, the present disclosure describes a first article comprising nanostructured whiskers having a first layer thereon comprising an organometallic compound comprising at least one of Ru or Ir. Optionally, the first layer further comprises an complex comprising at least one of Ru or Ir. Typically, the article includes at least one or more additional layers (e.g., a second layer comprising at least one of metallic Ir, Ir oxide, or Ir hydrated oxide on the first layer). Articles described herein are useful, for example, in fuel cell catalysts (i.e., an anode or cathode catalyst).

First claim

1 . An article comprising nanostructured whiskers having a first layer thereon comprising an organometallic compound comprising at least one of Ru or Ir.

2 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the first layer further comprising an organometallic complex comprising at least one of Ru or Ir.

3 . The article of either claim 1 , wherein the first layer is directly on the nanostructured whiskers.

4 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the organometallic compound is at least one of oxide or hydrated oxide.

5 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the first layer is at least one of covalently or ionically bonded to the nanostructured whiskers.

6 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the first layer is adsorbed onto the nanostructured whiskers.

7 . The article of claim 1 , further comprising a second layer comprising at least one of metallic Ir, Ir oxide, or Ir hydrated oxide on the first layer.

8 . The article of claim 7 , further comprising a third layer comprising at least one of metallic Pt or Pt compound on the second layer.

9 . The article of claim 8 , further comprising a fourth layer comprising at least one of metallic Pt or Pt compound on the third layer.

10 . The article of claim 9 , further comprising a fifth layer comprising at least one of metallic Ir, Ir oxide, or Ir hydrated oxide on the fourth layer.

11 . The article of either 10 , further comprising a sixth layer comprising at least one of metallic Ru, Ru oxide, or Ru hydrated oxide on the firth layer.

12 . The article of claim 11 , further comprising a seventh layer comprising at least one of metallic Ir, Ir oxide, or Ir hydrated oxide on the sixth layer.

13 . The article of claim 12 , wherein the collective thickness of the seven layers is in a range from 1.5 nm to 350 nm.

14 . The article of claim 12 , wherein the layers collectively comprise a sufficient amount of Ir to stabilize the Ru against anodic dissolution.

15 . The article of claim 12 , wherein the layers collectively have an Ir:Ru atomic ratio range from 10:1 to 0.5:1.

16 . A fuel cell catalyst comprising the article of claim 1 .

17 . The fuel cell catalyst according to claim 16 which comprises no electrically conductive carbon-based material.

18 . A fuel cell membrane electrode assembly comprising an anode or cathode catalyst which is a fuel cell catalyst according to claim 16 .

19 . A method of making the article of claim 1 wherein any of the layers is deposited via a deposition technique independently selected from the group consisting of sputtering, atomic layer deposition, molecular organic chemical vapor deposition, molecular beam epitaxy, ion soft landing, thermal physical vapor deposition, vacuum deposition by electrospray ionization, and pulse laser deposition.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising annealing at last one of the layers.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Atanasoska Ljiljana L
• Atanasoski Radoslav
• Haugen Gregory M
• Vernstrom George D

Classifications

• H01M4/9008

  Organic or organo-metallic compounds · CPC title

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M4/8842 Primary

  Coating using a catalyst salt precursor in solution followed by evaporation and reduction of the precursor · CPC title

• H01M4/926

  on carbon or graphite · CPC title

• H01M4/881

  Electrolytic membranes · CPC title