Proton conductor and fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017250430-A1
Application number	US-201515519617-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 21, 2015
Priority date	Oct 23, 2014
Publication date	Aug 31, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A first proton-donating layer ( 20 a ) is a layer having a proton-donative functional group on the surface, for example, a silicon oxide layer. A second proton-donating layer ( 20 b ) is also a layer having a proton-donative functional group on the surface, for example, a silicon oxide layer. Negative surface charges are formed on the main surface section of a first base ( 10 a ) and the main surface section of a second base ( 10 b ), and these negative charges increased the proton conductivity in an aqueous solution fed to a nano channel. Although, in the aqueous solution, proton migration through hopping between water molecules contributes to its diffusion, the negative charges formed on the main surfaces of the bases ( 10 a, 10 b ) attract protons in the aqueous solution, and the conduction of protons is efficiently achieved in “high-speed transfer regions” formed in the vicinity of the proton-donating layers ( 20 a, 20 b ).

First claim

1 . A proton conductor, comprising:
a first base having a negative charge formed on a main surface; and a first proton-donating layer provided on the main surface of the first base, wherein a thickness of the first proton-donating layer is 20 nm or less.

2 . The proton conductor according to claim 1 , wherein the first proton-donating layer is a layer having a proton-donative functional group on a surface.

3 . The proton conductor according to claim 2 , wherein the proton-donative functional group is any one of a silanol group, a phosphate group, a titanol group, and a sulfone group.

4 . The proton conductor according to claim 1 , wherein the first proton-donating layer is a silicon oxide layer.

5 . The proton conductor according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second base having a main surface facing the main surface of the first base, the second base having a negative charge which is formed on the main surface; and a second proton-donating layer which provided on the main surface of the second base,
wherein a distance d between the main surface of the first base and the main surface of the second base is 50 nm or more and 800 nm or less.

6 . The proton conductor according to claim 5 , wherein a thickness of the second proton-donating layer is 20 nm or less.

7 . The proton conductor according to claim 6 , wherein the second proton-donating layer is a layer having a proton-donative functional group on a surface.

8 . The proton conductor according to claim 7 , wherein the proton-donative functional group is any one of a silanol group, a phosphate group, a titanol group, and a sulfone group.

9 . The proton conductor according to claim 5 , wherein the second proton-donating layer is a silicon oxide layer.

10 . The proton conductor according to claim 5 , wherein at least one of the main surface sections of the first base and the second base comprises an electrode surface or a ferroelectric crystal.

11 . The proton conductor according to claim 5 , wherein each of the main surface sections of the first base and the second base comprises a ferroelectric crystal.

12 . The proton conductor according to claim 10 , where the ferroelectric crystal is lithium niobate.

13 . The proton conductor according to claim 5 , comprising two side walls perpendicular to the main surface of the first base and the main surface of the second base in such a way that an aspect ratio defined as R=L/d is 6 or less, wherein L is a distance between the two side walls.

14 . The proton conductor according to claim 13 , wherein each of the two side walls includes a proton-donating layer on a surface thereof.

15 . A fuel cell, comprising the proton conductor according to claim 1 as an aqueous solution channel.

16 . The proton conductor according to claim 11 , wherein the ferroelectric crystal is lithium niobate

Assignees

• Japan Science & Tech Agency

Inventors

• Kazoe Yutaka
• Pihosh Yuriy
• Mawatari Kazuma
• Kitamori Takehiko
• Kitamura Kenji
• Nagata Takahiro
• Tabata Osamu
• Tsuchiya Toshiyuki

Classifications

• H01M8/08 Primary

  Fuel cells with aqueous electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/0293

  Matrices for immobilising electrolyte solutions · CPC title

• H01M4/9016

  Oxides, hydroxides or oxygenated metallic salts · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title