Non-noble metal based electro-catalyst compositions for proton exchange membrane based water electrolysis and methods of making

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020131651-A1
Application number	US-201916559767-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 4, 2019
Priority date	Aug 8, 2012
Publication date	Apr 30, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention provides electro-catalyst compositions for an anode electrode of an acid mediated proton exchange membrane-based water electrolysis system. The compositions include a noble metal component selected from the group consisting of iridium oxide, ruthenium oxide, rhenium oxide and mixtures thereof, and a non-noble metal component selected from the group consisting of tantalum oxide, tin oxide, niobium oxide, titanium oxide, tungsten oxide, molybdenum oxide, yttrium oxide, scandium oxide, cooper oxide, zirconium oxide, nickel oxide and mixtures thereof. Further, the non-noble metal component can include a dopant. The dopant can be at least one element selected from Groups III, V, VI and VII of the Periodic Table. The compositions can be prepared using any solution based methods involving a surfactant approach or a sol gel approach. Further, the compositions are prepared using noble metal and non-noble metal precursors. Furthermore, a thin film containing the compositions can be deposited onto a substrate to form the anode electrode.

First claim

1 . A method of preparing an electro-catalyst composition for an anode electrode in a proton exchange membrane-based water electrolysis system, comprising:
preparing a surfactant solution; preparing a non-noble metal precursor solution; combining the non-noble metal precursor solution and the surfactant solution to form a first precipitate; separating and drying the first precipitate to form a non-noble metal oxide powder; preparing a noble metal precursor solution; combining the non-noble metal oxide powder with the noble metal precursor solution to form a mixture; and separating and drying the mixture to form the electro-catalyst composition of a general formula (a):
N x M 1-x O 2 ,   (a)

wherein N is iridium, ruthenium, rhenium or mixtures or combinations thereof, M is tin, niobium, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, molybdenum, yttrium, scandium, copper, zirconium, nickel or mixtures or combinations thereof, and x is a value from greater than zero to 99% based on weight of the composition, wherein the resulting electro-catalyst composition is a complete oxide alloy or a complete solid solution, and wherein the resulting electro-catalyst composition exhibits an electronic structure that mimics a noble metal oxide electro-catalyst composition absent of a non-noble metal.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electro-catalyst composition has a general formula (b):
Ir 1-x-y Sn x M y O 2 ,   (b)
wherein M is tin, niobium, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, molybdenum, yttrium, scandium, copper, zirconium, nickel or mixtures or combinations thereof, each of x and y is independently a value from greater than zero to 99%, and x+y is less than or equal to 99% based on weight of the composition.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electro-catalyst composition has a general formula (c):
Ir 1-2x Sn x M x O 2 ,   (c)
wherein M is tin, niobium, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, molybdenum, yttrium, scandium, copper, zirconium, nickel or mixtures or combinations thereof, and x is a value from greater than zero to 49.5% based on weight of the composition.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising doping the non-noble metal oxide powder with a dopant precursor selected from the group consisting of at least one element from Groups III, V, VI and VII of the Periodic Table to form a doped non-noble metal oxide powder.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the electro-catalyst composition has a general formula (d):
N x M 1-x O 2 :D,   (d)
wherein N is iridium, ruthenium, rhenium or mixtures or combinations thereof, M is tin, niobium, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, molybdenum, yttrium, scandium, copper, zirconium, nickel or mixtures or combinations thereof; D is at least one element from Groups III, V, VI and VII of the Periodic Table; and x is a value from greater than zero to 99% based on weight of the composition.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the electro-catalyst composition has a general formula (e):
Ir 1-x-y Sn x M y O 2 :D,   (e)
wherein M is tin, niobium, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, molybdenum, yttrium, scandium, copper, zirconium, nickel or mixtures or combinations thereof, D is at least one element from Groups III, V, VI and VII of the Periodic Table, each of x and y is independently a value from greater than zero to 99%, and x+y is less than or equal to 99% based on weight of the composition.

7 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the electro-catalyst composition has a general formula (f):
Ir 1-2x Sn x M x O 2 :D,   (f)
wherein M is tin, niobium, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, molybdenum, yttrium, scandium, copper, zirconium, nickel or mixtures or combinations thereof; D is at least one element from Groups III, V, VI and VII of the Periodic Table; and x is a value from greater than zero to 49.5% based on weight of the composition.

8 . A method for preparing an electro-catalyst composition for an anode electrode in a proton exchange membrane-based water electrolysis system, comprising:
preparing a non-noble metal precursor solution; forming a first precipitate from the non-noble metal precursor solution; separating the first precipitate; dispersing the first precipitate in solvent to form a sol gel; drying the sol gel to form a non-noble metal oxide powder; preparing a noble metal precursor solution; combining the non-noble metal oxide powder with the noble metal precursor solution to form a mixture; and separating and drying the mixture to form the electro-catalyst composition of a general formula (g):
N x M 1-x O 2 ,   (g)

wherein N is iridium, ruthenium, rhenium or mixtures or combinations thereof, M is tin, niobium, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, molybdenum, yttrium, scandium, copper, zirconium, nickel or mixtures or combinations thereof, and x is a value from greater than zero to 99% based on weight of the composition, wherein the resulting electro-catalyst composition is a complete oxide alloy or a complete solid solution, and wherein the resulting electro-catalyst composition exhibits an electronic structure that mimics a noble metal oxide electro-catalyst composition absent of a non-noble metal.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the electro-catalyst composition has a general formula (h):
Ir 1-x-y Sn x M y O 2 ,   (h)
wherein M is tin, niobium, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, molybdenum, yttrium, scandium, copper, zirconium, nickel or mixtures or combinations thereof, each of x and y is independently a value from greater than zero to 99%, and x+y is less than or equal to 99% based on weight of the composition.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the electro-catalyst composition has a general formula (i):
Ir 1-2x Sn x M x O 2 ,   (i)
wherein M is tin, niobium, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, molybdenum, yttrium, scandium, copper, zirconium, nickel or mixtures or combinations thereof, and x is a value from greater than zero to 49.5% based on weight of the composition.

11 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising doping the non-noble metal oxide powder with a dopant precursor selected from the group consisting of at least one element from Groups III, V, VI and VII of the Periodic Table to form a doped non-noble metal oxide powder.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the electro-catalyst composition has a general formula (j):
N x M 1-x O 2 :D,   (j)
wherein N is iridium, ruthenium, rhenium or mixtures or combinations thereof, M is tin, niobium, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, molybdenum, yttrium, scandium, copper, zirconium, nickel or mixtures or combinations thereof; D is at least one element from Groups III, V, VI and VII of the Periodic Table; and x is a value from greater than zero to 99% based on weight of the composition.

13 . the method of claim 11 , wherein the electro-catalyst composition has a general formula (k):
Ir 1-x-y Sn x M y O 2 :D,   (k)
wherein M is tin, niobium, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, molybdenum, yttrium, scandium, copper, zirconium, nickel or mixtures or combinations thereof, D is at least one element from Groups III, V, VI and VII of the Periodic Table, each of x and y is independently a value from greater than zero to 99%, and x+y is less than or equal to 99% based on weight of the composition.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the electro-catalyst composition has a general formula (l):
Ir 1-2x Sn x M x O 2 :D,   (l)
wherein M is tin, niobium, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, molybdenum, yttrium, scandium, copper, zirconium, nickel or mixtures or combinations thereof; D is at least one element from Groups III, V, VI and VII of the Periodic Table; and x is a value from greater than zero to 49.5% based

Assignees

• Univ Pittsburgh Commonwealth Sys Higher Education

Inventors

• Kumta Prashant N
• Kadakia Karan Sandeep
• Datta Moni Kanchan
• Velikokhatnyi Oleg
• Jampani Hanumantha Prashanth

Classifications

• H01M4/9016

  Oxides, hydroxides or oxygenated metallic salts · CPC title

• H01M4/881 Primary

  Electrolytic membranes · CPC title

• H01M4/8828

  Coating with slurry or ink · 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

• B82Y30/00

  Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites · CPC title