A new class of electrocatalysts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017342578-A1
Application number	US-201515526007-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 11, 2015
Priority date	Nov 11, 2014
Publication date	Nov 30, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to electrocatalysts that include a surface and a plurality of catalytically active sites associated with the surface. The catalytically active sites include individually dispersed metallic atoms that are associated with heteroatoms. In some embodiments, the surface includes graphene oxide, the heteroatoms include nitrogen, and the metallic atoms include cobalt. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of mediating an electrocatalytic reaction by exposing a precursor material to an electrocatalyst of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the electrocatalytic reaction is a hydrogen evolution reaction that results in the formation of molecular hydrogen from the precursor material. Further embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of making the electrocatalysts of the present disclosure by associating a surface with heteroatoms and metallic atoms.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electrocatalyst comprising:
a surface; and a plurality of catalytically active sites associated with the surface, wherein the catalytically active sites comprise: heteroatoms, and individually dispersed metallic atoms associated with the heteroatoms.

2 . The electrocatalyst of claim 1 , wherein the surface is selected from the group consisting of carbon materials, graphite, graphitic surfaces, graphite oxide, graphene, graphene oxide, graphene nanoribbons, graphene oxide nanoribbons, carbon nanofibers, carbon nanotubes, split carbon nanotubes, activated carbon, carbon black, metal chalcogenides, molybdenum disulfide, molybdenum trisulfide, titanium diselenide, molybdenum diselenide, tungsten diselenide, tungsten disulfide, niobium triselenide, functionalized surfaces, pristine surfaces, doped surfaces, reduced surfaces, porous surfaces, porous carbons, high surface area porous carbons, high surface area porous carbons made from asphalt, stacks thereof, and combinations thereof.

3 . The electrocatalyst of claim 1 , wherein the surface is in the form of a sheet.

4 . The electrocatalyst of claim 1 , wherein the surface comprises a single layer.

5 . The electrocatalyst of claim 1 , wherein the surface comprises a plurality of layers.

6 . The electrocatalyst of claim 1 , wherein the surface comprises graphene oxide.

7 . The electrocatalyst of claim 1 , wherein the surface is porous.

8 . The electrocatalyst of claim 1 , wherein the metallic atoms are associated with the heteroatoms through at least one of covalent bonds, non-covalent bonds, ionic interactions, acid-base interactions, hydrogen bonding interactions, pi-stacking interactions, van der Waals interactions, adsorption, physisorption, self-assembly, stacking, packing, sequestration, and combinations thereof.

9 . The electrocatalyst of claim 1 , wherein the metallic atoms are coordinated with the heteroatoms.

10 . The electrocatalyst of claim 1 , wherein the heteroatoms form an interconnected network, and wherein the metallic atoms are individually dispersed within the interconnected network.

11 . The electrocatalyst of claim 1 , wherein the heteroatoms are selected from the group consisting of boron, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous, silicon, sulfur, chlorine, bromine, iodine, and combinations thereof.

12 . The electrocatalyst of claim 1 , wherein the heteroatoms comprise nitrogen.

13 . The electrocatalyst of claim 1 , wherein the heteroatoms have a concentration ranging from about 0.5 at % to about 10 at % of the electrocatalyst.

14 . The electrocatalyst of claim 1 , wherein the heteroatoms have a concentration ranging from about 3 at % to about 9 at % of the electrocatalyst.

15 . The electrocatalyst of claim 1 , wherein the metallic atoms are selected from the group consisting of metals, metal oxides, transition metals, metal carbides, transition metal oxides, cobalt, iron, nickel, molybdenum, platinum, palladium, gold, manganese, copper, zinc, and combinations thereof.

16 . The electrocatalyst of claim 1 , wherein the metallic atoms comprise cobalt.

17 . The electrocatalyst of claim 1 , wherein the metallic atoms exclude at least one of platinum, gold, palladium, and combinations thereof.

18 . The electrocatalyst of claim 1 , wherein the metallic atoms have a concentration of less than about 3.0 at % of the electrocatalyst.

19 . The electrocatalyst of claim 1 , wherein the metallic atoms have a concentration ranging from about 0.01 at % to about 2.0 at % of the electrocatalyst.

20 . The electrocatalyst of claim 1 , wherein the electrocatalyst is capable of mediating oxygen reduction reactions, oxygen evolution reactions, hydrogen oxidation reactions, hydrogen evolution reactions, and combinations thereof.

21 . The electrocatalyst of claim 1 , wherein the electrocatalyst is capable of mediating hydrogen evolution reactions.

22 . The electrocatalyst of claim 1 , wherein the electrocatalyst is capable of mediating hydrogen evolution reactions and oxygen evolution reactions.

23 . A method of mediating an electrocatalytic reaction, said method comprising:
exposing a precursor material to an electrocatalyst, wherein the electrocatalyst comprises:
a surface; and
a plurality of catalytically active sites associated with the surface, wherein the catalytically active sites comprise:
heteroatoms, and
individually dispersed metallic atoms associated with the heteroatoms.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the exposing occurs by a method selected from the group consisting of mixing, stirring, incubating, sonicating, heating, ion implantation, mechanical mixing, and combinations thereof.

25 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the electrocatalytic reaction is selected from the group consisting of oxygen reduction reactions, oxygen evolution reactions, hydrogen oxidation reactions, hydrogen evolution reactions, and combinations thereof.

26 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the electrocatalytic reaction comprises hydrogen evolution reactions.

27 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the electrocatalytic reaction is a hydrogen evolution reaction, and wherein the exposing results in formation of molecular hydrogen from the precursor material.

28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the precursor material is water.

29 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the surface is selected from the group consisting of carbon materials, graphite, graphitic surfaces, graphite oxide, graphene, graphene oxide, graphene nanoribbons, graphene oxide nanoribbons, carbon nanofibers, carbon nanotubes, split carbon nanotubes, activated carbon, carbon black, metal chalcogenides, molybdenum disulfide, molybdenum trisulfide, titanium diselenide, molybdenum diselenide, tungsten diselenide, tungsten disulfide, niobium triselenide, functionalized surfaces, pristine surfaces, doped surfaces, reduced surfaces, porous surfaces, porous carbons, high surface area porous carbons, high surface area porous carbons made from asphalt, stacks thereof, and combinations thereof.

30 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the surface comprises graphene oxide.

31 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the metallic atoms are associated with the heteroatoms through at least one of covalent bonds, non-covalent bonds, ionic interactions, acid-base interactions, hydrogen bonding interactions, pi-stacking interactions, van der Waals interactions, adsorption, physisorption, self-assembly, stacking, packing, sequestration, and combinations thereof.

32 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the metallic atoms are coordinated with the heteroatoms.

33 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the heteroatoms form an interconnected network, and wherein the metallic atoms are individually dispersed within the interconnected network.

34 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the heteroatoms are selected from the group consisting of boron, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous, silicon, sulfur, chlorine, bromine, iodine, and combinations thereof.

35 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the heteroatoms comprise nitrogen.

36 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the heteroatoms have a concentration ranging from about 0.5 at % to about 10 at % of the electrocataly

Assignees

• William March Rice Univ
• Univ Rice William M

Inventors

• Tour James M
• Fei Huilong

Classifications

• H01M4/9083

  on carbon or graphite · CPC title

• C25B11/0478 Primary

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• H01M4/925

  supported on carriers, e.g. powder carriers · CPC title

• H01M4/9075

  Catalytic material supported on carriers, e.g. powder carriers (H01M4/8807, H01M4/881, H01M4/8814, H01M4/925 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01M4/9016

  Oxides, hydroxides or oxygenated metallic salts · CPC title