Arizona State University

Jean-Philippe Belieres

Charles Austen Angell

Wu Xu

Masahiro Yoshizawa

Dominic Francis Gervasio

C Austen Angell

Xiao-Guang Sun

Dominic Francis-Gervasio

Fuel cell designs and techniques for converting chemical energy into electrical energy uses a fuel cell are disclosed. The designs and techniques include an anode to receive fuel, a cathode to receive oxygen, and an electrolyte chamber in the fuel cell, including an electrolyte medium, where the electrolyte medium includes an inorganic salt mixture in the fuel cell. The salt mixture includes pre-determined quantities of at least two salts chosen from a group consisting of ammonium trifluoromethanesulfonate, ammonium trifluoroacetate, and ammonium nitrate, to conduct charge from the anode to the cathode. The fuel cell includes an electrical circuit operatively coupled to the fuel cell to transport electrons from the cathode.

Inorganic salt mixtures as electrolyte media in fuel cells

Disclosed are developments in high temperature fuel cells including ionic liquids with high temperature stability and the storage of inorganic acids as di-anion salts of low volatility. The formation of ionically conducting liquids of this type having conductivities of unprecedented magnitude for non-aqueous systems is described. The stability of the di-anion configuration is shown to play a role in the high performance of the non-corrosive proton-transfer ionic liquids as high temperature fuel cell electrolytes. Performance of simple H(g) electrolyte/O(g) fuel cells with the new electrolytes is described. Superior performance both at ambient temperature and temperatures up to and above 200&#xb0; C. are achieved. Both neutral proton transfer salts and the acid salts with HSOanions, give good results, the bisulphate case being particularly good at low temperatures and very high temperatures. The performance of all electrolytes is improved by the addition of a small amount of involatile base of pKvalue intermediate between those of the acid and base that make the bulk electrolyte. The preferred case is the imidazole-doped ethylammonium hydrogensulfate which yields behavior superior in all respects to that of the industry standard phosphoric acid electrolyte.

Ionic liquids and ionic liquid acids with high temperature stability for fuel cell and other high temperature applications, method of making and cell employing same

A neutral protic salt electrolyte and a protic-salt imbibed polymer electrolyte membrane exhibiting high ionic conductivity and thermal stability at temperatures greater than 100&#xb0; C. without requiring additional humidification systems or hydrating water is disclosed. The protic salt is the neutral product of acids and bases for which the proton transfer energy lies in the range from 0.5 to 1.5 eV. A polymer electrolyte membrane having the general formula: wherein A is a repeating unit in the main chain, B is a crosslinker chain, C is an end group, YZ is a neutralized couple at chain end, IL is an ionic liquid, and NP is a nanoparticle which absorbs the protic liquid yielding membranes that combine high mechanical strength with high conductivity. The present polymer electrolyte membrane is useful in high temperature fuel cells for automotive, industrial, and mobile communication applications.

Neutral protic-salt electrolytes and protic-salt imbibed polymer membranes for high temperature fuel cell applications

Growing community of inventors

Chandler, AZ, United States of America

Jean-Philippe Belieres