Hydrogen evolution reaction catalyst

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022010440-A1
Application number	US-201917289566-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 29, 2019
Priority date	Oct 29, 2018
Publication date	Jan 13, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention relates to a catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and methods for using the catalyst in a water-splitting process. The invention also provides a composition, a material and an electrode comprising the catalyst. In particular, the invention relates to a hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalyst comprising a catalytic metal species comprising an active catalyst species and a vanadium species; wherein the catalytic metal species and the vanadium species are interspersed within the HER catalyst.

First claim

1 . A hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalyst comprising:
a catalytic metal species comprising an active catalyst species, and a vanadium species;
wherein the catalytic metal species and the vanadium species are interspersed within the HER catalyst.

2 . The HER catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the catalytic metal species is an Earth abundant metal.

3 . The HER catalyst of claim 2 , wherein the catalytic metal species is selected from nickel, cobalt and a combination thereof.

4 . The HER catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the vanadium species is a vanadium oxide.

5 . The HER catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the catalytic metal species and the vanadium species are contained within particles.

6 . The HER catalyst of claim 5 , wherein the particles possess a crystalline structure and an amorphous component.

7 . The HER catalyst of claim 5 , wherein the average diameter of the particles is from about 0.1 nm to about 15 nm.

8 . The HER catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the catalytic metal species further comprises a metal modifier.

9 . The HER catalyst of claim 8 , wherein the metal modifier is copper.

10 . The HER catalyst of claim 8 , wherein the metal catalytic species comprises an alloy of the metal catalyst species and the metal modifier.

11 . The HER catalyst of claim 1 , further comprising a metal oxide coating.

12 . The HER catalyst of claim 11 wherein the metal oxide coating is a chromium oxide coating.

13 . A catalytic material comprising the HER catalyst of claim 1 and a substrate.

14 . An electrode comprising a conductive substrate and the HER catalyst of claim 1 .

15 . A process for preparing the HER catalyst of claim 1 , the process comprising contacting a conductive substrate with a solution comprising a source of the metal catalyst species and a source of the vanadium species, and applying a voltage across the substrate and a counter electrode through the solution to electrodeposit the metal catalyst species and the vanadium species onto a surface of the conductive substrate.

16 . A method of evolving hydrogen from water, the method comprising providing an electrochemical cell comprising at least two electrodes and an electrolyte solution, contacting water with the at least two electrodes, and applying a voltage across the at least two electrodes, wherein at least one of the at least two electrodes comprises the HER catalyst of claim 1 .

17 . An electrolyser comprising at least two electrodes and a power supply, wherein at least one of the at least two electrodes comprises the HER catalyst of claim 1 .

Assignees

• Newsouth Innovations Pty Ltd
• Kohodo Hydrogen Energy Pty Ltd

Inventors

• Zhao Chuan
• Li Yibing

Classifications

• C25D3/56

  of alloys · CPC title

• C25B1/04 Primary

  by electrolysis of water · 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

• H01M4/8652

  as mixture · CPC title

• H01M4/9041

  Metals or alloys (H01M4/92 takes precedence) · CPC title