Fuel cell cathode catalyst

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021202957-A1
Application number	US-201916728619-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 27, 2019
Priority date	Dec 27, 2019
Publication date	Jul 1, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fuel cell catalyst for oxygen reduction reactions including Pt—Ni—Cu nanoparticles supported on nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon (MPC) having enhanced activity and durability, and method of making said catalyst. The catalyst is synthesized by employing a solid state chemistry method, which involves thermally pretreating a N-doped MPC to remove moisture from the surface; impregnation of metal precursors on the N-doped MPC under vacuum condition; and reducing the metal precurors in a stream of CO and H2 gas mixture.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A catalyst comprising Pt—Cu—Ni alloy nanoparticles supported on nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon.

2 . The catalyst according to claim 1 , wherein said nanoparticles have an octahedral or rhombic shape and a particle size from about 8-10 nm.

3 . The catalyst according to claim 1 , wherein the Pt—Cu—Ni alloy nanoparticles supported on nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon have enhanced ORR activity and durability.

4 . A method of making a catalyst comprising platinum alloy nanoparticles supported on nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon (MPC), said method comprising:
thermally pretreating a nitrogen-doped MPC support material to remove moisture; impregnating one or more metal precursors onto the pre-treated nitrogen-doped MPC under vacuum condition to obtain a precursor-impregnated nitrogen-doped MPC support material; heating the precursor-impregnated nitrogen-doped MPC support material to a functional temperature; and delivering a functional gas to the precursor-impregnated nitrogen-doped MPC support material, the one or more metal precursors reacting with the functional gas to form shaped platinum alloy nanoparticles supported on nitrogen-doped MPC.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , which further comprises evacuating the pretreated nitrogen-doped MPC support to further remove air from pores in the support prior to impregnation of the metal precursors.

6 . The method according to claim 4 , the one or more metal precursors comprise platinum, nickel and copper.

7 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein thermally pretreating comprises heating the porous carbon material to a first temperature in an atmosphere comprising air, Ar, N 2 , O 2 or combinations thereof.

8 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the thermally pretreating comprises heating the porous carbon material in air.

9 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the functional gas is a gas mixture comprising H 2 and CO.

10 . The method according to claim 4 , comprising delivering the functional gas at a partial pressure ratio of from 0:100 to 1:1 of H 2 to CO, and a volumetric flow rate of from 10 sccm to 1000 sccm.

11 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the functional temperature is from 150° C. to 300° C.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising maintaining the functional temperature for a period of from 0 hours to 5 hours in the presence of a functional gas.

13 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein said nanoparticles have an octahedral or rhombic shape and a particle size from about 8-10 nm.

14 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the catalyst comprising platinum alloy nanoparticles supported on a nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon material has enhanced ORR activity and durability.

15 . A method for forming platinum alloy particles into nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon, comprising:
removing moisture from a nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon material, the nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon having one or more pores; applying a vacuum to the chamber; delivering one or more precursors comprising platinum, nickel, and copper to obtain a precursor-impregnated nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon material; purging the chamber using a purge gas; heating the precursor-impregnated nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon material to a functional temperature; and delivering a functional gas to the precursor-impregnated nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon material, the one or more precursors reacting with the functional gas to form shaped platinum alloy nanoparticles within the one or more pores of the nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon material.

16 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein heating of the precursor-impregnated nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon material is at a ramping rate of 15° C./min. to 200° C.

17 . The method according to claim 16 , further comprising maintaining at 200° C. for 1 hour in H 2 /CO ( 5/120 cm 3 /min).

18 . A method for oxygen reduction catalysis, said method comprising employing a catalyst which comprises Pt—Cu—Ni alloy nanoparticles supported on nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon according to claim 1 .

19 . A fuel cell comprising a catalyst which comprises Pt—Cu—Ni alloy nanoparticles supported on nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Zhou Li Qin
• Huang Kan
• Jia Hongfei
• Shen Xiaochen
• Peng Zhenmeng
• Kato Hisao

Classifications

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M2300/0005

  Acid electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M4/921

  Alloys or mixtures with metallic elements · CPC title

• H01M4/9083 Primary

  on carbon or graphite · CPC title