Johnson Matthey Hydrogen Technologies Limited

Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells Limited

Geoffrey Spikes

Alejandro Martinez Bonastre

Jonathan Sharman

Nicoleta Muresan

Richard Walton

Lucy Mcleod

The present invention provides a metal carbonitride comprising: i) a first metal, M; and ii) a second metal, M; wherein Mis titanium, zirconium or hafnium; and Mis vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, iron, ruthenium or osmium.

Catalyst support

The present invention concerns methods of forming metal-containing nanoparticles or oxide thereof, especially metal alloy nanoparticles. The method the steps of providing at least two different kinds of transition metal ion by providing at least two kinds of metal ion-containing compound; a heating step in which the at least two metal ion-containing compounds are subjected to a temperature of at least 300° C. to form the metal alloy nanoparticles; a cooling step comprising cooling the product of step b; and each metal ion-containing compound is a transition metal complex having ligands coordinated to a transition metal ion, the ligands being selected from the group consisting of glyoxime; a glyoxime derivative; salicylaldimine; and a salicylaldimine derivative. The preferred methods are solution-based methods. Products of the methods are also described, as are their uses as electrocatalysts, as well as uses of the metal ion-containing compounds for making nanoparticles.

Nanoparticles and preparation method

The present invention provides a method of preparing a catalyst material, said catalyst material comprising a support material and an electrocatalyst dispersed on the support material: said method comprising the steps: i) providing a support material; then ii) 10 depositing a silicon oxide precursor on the support material; then iii) carrying out a heat treatment step to convert the silicon oxide precursor to silicon oxide; then iv) depositing said electrocatalyst or a precursor of said electrocatalyst on the support material; then v) removal of at least some of the silicon oxide.

Catalyst preparation

The use of an electrocatalyst material in an anode catalyst layer, wherein the electrocatalyst material comprises a support material, the support material comprising a plurality of individual support particles or aggregates wherein each individual support particle or aggregate has dispersed thereon (i) first particles and (ii) second particles, wherein: (i) the first particles comprise Pt optionally alloyed with an alloying metal X1; wherein the optional alloying metal X1 is selected from the group consisting of Rh, Ti, Os, V, Co, Ni, Ga, Hf, Sn, Ir, Pd, Mo, Zn, W, Zr and Re; (ii) the second particles consist essentially of a second metal or a second metal compound wherein the second metal is selected from the group consisting of Ir and Ru and the second metal compound comprises IrX2 wherein X2 is selected from the group consisting of Ta, Nb, Ru, Ni and Co; and wherein if the first particles consist of Pt then the second particles do not comprise IrTa; and wherein if the first particles consist of Pt without alloying metal X1 and the second particles consist essentially of a second metal which is Ir, each individual support particle or aggregate of the support material of the electrocatalyst material has dispersed thereon only the said first and second particles; or wherein each individual support particle or aggregate has dispersed thereon (i) first particles and (ii) third particles, wherein: (iii) the third particles comprise Au or a third metal alloy; wherein the third metal alloy is selected from the group consisting of AuX3 and PdX4, wherein X3 is selected from the group consisting of Pt, Pd, Cu, Ir and Sn; and X4 is selected from the group consisting of Hg, Au, Sn, Co, Ni, Ga, In, Zn, W and Pb.

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Reading, United Kingdom

Geoffrey Spikes