Exxon Research and Engineering Company

David Terence Buckley

Richard J Bellows

Elise Marucchi-Soos

John L Robbins

The invention is directed towards a CO-tolerant fuel cell electrode formed from a carbon supported, platinum dispersed, non-stoichiometric hydrogen tungsten bronze electrode catalyst. The electrode catalyst is capable of oxidizing CO at very low potentials, and is sequentially formed from stable precursors.

Co-tolerant fuel cell electrode

The invention is a composition, comprising: a carbon-supported, dispersed platinum-zinc alloy having the formula Pt-Zn.sub.x /C wherein x ranges from greater than 0.05 to less than 1 wherein platinum is in the form of platinum particles ranging in size from about 20 .ANG. to about 30 .ANG. on a carbon support, wherein the carbon is in the form of high surface area carbon having surface area ranging from about 100 to about 500 m.sup.2 /g, and the platinum particles are present in an amount ranging from about 10 to about 40 wt % on the carbon support. The composition is made by the process of depositing on the carbon support a soluble zinc source selected from the group of zinc nitrate, acetate, halides, formates, oxalates, and acetyl acetonates and mixtures thereof; calcining to convert the zinc source to ZnO; and then reducing the zinc oxide at a temperature ranging from about 250.degree. C. to about 600.degree. C., in the presence of hydrogen at a pressure ranging from about 1 atmosphere (100 KPa) to about 10 atmospheres(1000 KPa). or by the process of admixing zinc powder with Pt/C powder; and heating the mixture under a reducing atmosphere at a temperature sufficient to produce the Pt-Zn.sub.x /C alloy, wherein x ranges from greater than 0.05 to less than 1. The invention has utility in fuel cells in electrochemical processes requiring CO tolerant anodes.

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Somerville, NJ, United States of America

David Terence Buckley