Heterostructures for ultra-active hydrogen evolution electrocatalysis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016017507-A1
Application number	US-201514802931-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 17, 2015
Priority date	Jul 17, 2014
Publication date	Jan 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A cathode for water splitting production includes: (1) a porous substrate; and (2) an electrocatalyst affixed to the porous substrate. The electrocatalyst includes heterostructures of a first material and a second material that partially covers the first material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electrode for water splitting production, comprising:
a porous substrate; and an electrocatalyst affixed to the porous substrate, the electrocatalyst including heterostructures of a first material and a second material that partially covers the first material.

2 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the first material and the second material include a first metal and a second metal, respectively.

3 . The electrode of claim 2 , wherein the first metal and the second metal have different oxidation states.

4 . The electrode of claim 3 , wherein the first metal and the second metal are the same transition metal.

5 . The electrode of claim 4 , wherein the transition metal is nickel.

6 . The electrode of claim 2 , wherein the second material includes a third metal that is different from the first metal and the second metal.

7 . The electrode of claim 6 , wherein the first metal and the third metal are different transition metals.

8 . The electrode of claim 7 , wherein the first metal is nickel, the second metal is nickel, and the third metal is chromium.

9 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the first material includes a metal, and the second material includes a metalloid.

10 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the first material includes two or more different metals.

11 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the second material includes two or more different metals.

12 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein each heterostructure includes a core of the first material and an incomplete shell of the second material partially covering the core of the first material.

13 . The electrode of claim 12 , wherein the core includes a first metal, and the incomplete shell includes an oxide of a second metal and an oxide of a third metal, and the third metal is different from the first metal and the second metal.

14 . The electrode of claim 12 , wherein the core includes a first metal, and the incomplete shell includes an oxide of a second metal and a third metal, and the third metal is different from the first metal and the second metal.

15 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the porous substrate has a porosity in the range of 0.3 to 0.98.

16 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the porous substrate is a metallic foam or a non-metallic foam.

17 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the porous substrate is selected from a nickel foam, a copper foam, a carbon foam, a graphite foam, a carbon fiber paper, a carbon nanotube network, a graphene foam, a titanium foam, and an aluminum foam.

18 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the porous substrate defines voids, and the electrocatalyst is disposed in the voids of the porous substrate.

19 . A water electrolyzer comprising the electrode of claim 1 .

20 . A chloralkali cell comprising the electrode of claim 1 .

21 . A method of manufacturing an electrode for water splitting production, comprising:
providing a precursor composition including at least two different metals; applying the precursor composition to a porous substrate to form a coated porous substrate; and annealing the coated porous substrate to form heterostructures of the metals affixed to the porous substrate.

22 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising, prior to applying the precursor composition to the porous substrate, applying a polar solvent to the porous substrate.

23 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising, prior to applying the precursor composition to the porous substrate, applying a surfactant to the porous substrate.

24 . The method of claim 21 , wherein annealing the coated porous substrate is performed at a temperature up to 400° C. and a pressure up to 100 torr.

25 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the precursor composition is an aqueous composition.

Assignees

• Univ Leland Stanford Junior

Inventors

• Dai Hongjie
• Gong Ming

Classifications

• C25B1/34

  Simultaneous production of alkali metal hydroxides and chlorine, oxyacids or salts of chlorine, e.g. by chlor-alkali electrolysis · CPC title

• C25B1/04

  by electrolysis of water · CPC title

• C25B11/0478 Primary

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B11/0405

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B11/12

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic