Attachment of graphene and metal or metal oxide-modified graphene to organic polymers used in organic fuel cells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9954241-B2
Application number	US-201615218707-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2016
Priority date	Nov 27, 2012
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

A polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell that includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a polyelectrolyte membrane and a solution of reduced graphene oxide and/or graphene oxide functionalized with metallized nanoparticles. The electrodes are coated with a polymer and the polyelectrolyte membrane has a hydrophobic exterior surface that is subjected to ultraviolet/ozone (UV/O 3 ) exposure, which changes the hydrophobic, exterior surface to a hydrophilic exterior surface. The polyelectrolyte membrane is disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode and can include a sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene based fluoropolymer-copolymer. The solution forms a coating on the hydrophilic exterior surface of the polymer electrolyte membrane and the positive and negative electrodes. The positive and negative electrodes can be coated with a polymer, preferably polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) that can be subjected to ultraviolet/ozone (UV/O 3 ) exposure. The metallized nanoparticles increase the efficiency of the fuel cell by at least 50% when the feed gas includes at least 1000 ppm carbon monoxide.

First claim

We claim:

1. A polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell comprising:
a positive electrode;
a negative electrode;
a polyelectrolyte membrane having a hydrophobic exterior surface subjected to ultraviolet/ozone (UV/O 3 ) exposure, wherein the UV/O 3 exposure changes the hydrophobic, exterior surface to a hydrophilic exterior surface, and wherein the polyelectrolyte membrane is disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode; and
a solution comprising reduced graphene oxide and/or graphene oxide functionalized with nanoparticles of gold, platinum, palladium, silver, copper or their alloys or mixtures thereof, wherein the solution forms a coating on the hydrophilic exterior surface of the polymer electrolyte membrane and the positive and negative electrodes.

2. The polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles have an average particle diameter of from 1.88 nm to 3.54 nm.

3. The polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the polyelectrolyte membrane comprises a sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene based fluoropolymer-copolymer.

4. The polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the positive and negative electrodes are coated with a polymer.

5. The polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell according to claim 4 , wherein the polymer is polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

6. The polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the reduced graphene oxide and/or graphene oxide is functionalized with nanoparticles of gold and platinum.

7. The polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles have a truncated cuboctahedron structure.

8. The polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell according to claim 1 further comprising a gaseous composition containing hydrogen molecules (H 2 ) and carbon monoxide (CO) in contact with the positive electrode.

9. The polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell according to claim 8 , wherein the efficiency of the fuel cell is increased by at least 50% compared to fuel cells not coated with reduced graphene oxide and/or graphene oxide functionalized with nanoparticles.

10. The polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the functionalized solution comprises AuCl 4 .

11. A method for making a polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising:
forming a polymer electrolyte membrane having an exterior surface, wherein the exterior surface is hydrophobic;
subjecting the hydrophobic exterior surface of the polymer electrolyte membrane to ultraviolet/ozone (UV/O 3 ) exposure, wherein the UV/O 3 exposure changes the hydrophobic exterior surface to a hydrophilic exterior surface;
disposing the polymer electrolyte membrane with the hydrophilic exterior surface between a positive electrode and a negative electrode;
preparing a solution comprising reduced graphene oxide and/or graphene oxide;
functionalizing the solution with nanoparticles of gold, platinum, palladium, silver, ferric oxide, copper or their alloys or mixtures thereof; and
contacting the hydrophilic exterior surface of the polymer electrolyte membrane and the positive and negative electrodes with the functionalized solution.

12. The method for making a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell according to claim 11 , wherein the polyelectrolyte membrane comprises a sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene based fluoropolymer-copolymer.

13. The method for making a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell according to claim 11 , wherein the solution of nanoparticles comprises a solvent.

14. The method for making a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell according to claim 11 , wherein the nanoparticles have an average particle diameter of from 1.88 nm to 3.54 nm.

15. The method for making a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell according to claim 11 , wherein the nanoparticles have a truncated cuboctahedron structure.

16. The method for making a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell according to claim 11 , the solution of nanoparticles comprises sodium borohydride (NaBH 4 ).

17. The method for making a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell according to claim 11 , wherein the polymer electrolyte membrane comprises a sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene based fluoropolymer-copolymer.

18. The method for making a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell according to claim 11 , comprising coating the positive and negative electrodes with a polymer and subjecting the polymer to ultraviolet/ozone (UV/O 3 ) exposure.

19. The method for making a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell according to claim 18 , wherein the polymer coated onto the positive electrode and the negative electrode are is polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

20. The method for making a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell according to claim 11 , wherein the functionalized solution comprises AuCl 4 .

Assignees

• Univ New York State Res Found

Inventors

• Rafailovich Miriam
• Isseroff Rebecca
• Li Hongfei
• Blackburn Lee
• Chen Arthur
• Chen Andrew
• Chittabathini Sneha
• Tse Alexandra
• Pan Cheng

Classifications

• C08J5/2237

  containing fluorine · CPC title

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/1007

  with both reactants being gaseous or vaporised (H01M8/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C08J2323/32

  by reaction with phosphorus- or sulfur-containing compounds · CPC title

• H01M8/1051 Primary

  Non-ion-conducting additives, e.g. stabilisers, SiO2 or ZrO2 · CPC title