Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Nissan North America, Inc.

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

The University of Akron

University of Notre Dame Du Lac

Kan Huang

Hongfei Jia

Nilesh Dale

Hisao Kato

Li Qin Zhou

Zhenmeng Peng

Xiaochen Shen

Taehee Han

Ellazar Niangar

Gregory DiLeo

Xiaoguang Hao

Ying Liu

Jessica Weber

Debasish Banerjee

Songtao Wu

Joan F Brennecke

Tomoyuki Nagai

Oscar Morales Collazo

A fuel cell catalyst for oxygen reduction reactions including Pt—Ni—Cu nanoparticles supported on nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon (MPC) having enhanced activity and durability, and method of making said catalyst. The catalyst is synthesized by employing a solid state chemistry method, which involves thermally pretreating a N-doped MPC to remove moisture from the surface; impregnation of metal precursors on the N-doped MPC under vacuum condition; and reducing the metal precurors in a stream of CO and Hgas mixture.

Fuel cell cathode catalyst

Black titanium dioxide has a crystalline titanium dioxide core and an amorphous titanium dioxide shell that encompasses the crystalline titanium dioxide core. The black titanium dioxide has a reflectivity of electromagnetic radiation in the visible spectrum that is less than or equal to 15% and a reflectivity for near-IR and LiDAR electromagnetic radiation that is greater than or equal to 10%. The black titanium dioxide has a band gap from greater than or equal to 1.0 eV to less than or equal to 2.0 eV.

Black titanium dioxide LiDAR reflecting particles and vehicles comprising the same

A fuel cell catalyst for oxygen reduction reactions including Pt&#x2014;Ni&#x2014;Cu nanoparticles supported on nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon (MPC) having enhanced activity and durability, and method of making said catalyst. The catalyst is synthesized by employing a solid state chemistry method, which involves thermally pretreating a N-doped MPC to remove moisture from the surface; impregnation of metal precursors on the N-doped MPC under vacuum condition; and reducing the metal precursors in a stream of CO and Hgas mixture.

A membrane electrode assembly for a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell includes an anodic catalyst layer, a cathodic catalyst layer, and a polymer electrolyte membrane mediating protic communication between the anodic and cathodic catalyst layers. The cathodic catalyst layer includes an ionic liquid, 1-methyl-2,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-1H-pyrimido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-9-ium 1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4,4-nonafluorobutane-1-sulfonate, in admixture with carbon-supported particles of platinum or a platinum alloy. The ionic liquid improves performance in both high moisture and low moisture operating conditions.

Catalyst layer composition for improved performance of membrane assembly electrode with ionic liquid

Improved oxygen reduction reaction catalysts include octahedral nanoparticles of a platinum-copper-nickel alloy contacted by a secondary ionomer. The alloy can have a formula of PtCuNi, and the secondary ionomer can include an ionic liquid, 1-methyl-2,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-1H-pyrimido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-9-ium 1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4,4-nonafluorobutane-1-sulfonate ([MTBD][CFSO]). The oxygen reductions catalysts have improved stability, as well as mass area and specific area comparted to competing catalysts.

Composite made of ionic liquid and octahedral Pt&#x2014;Ni&#x2014;Cu alloy nanoparticles for oxygen reduction catalysis

Methods for making porous materials having metal alloy nanoparticles formed therein are described herein. By preparing a porous material and delivering the precursor solutions under vacuum, the metal precursors can be uniformly embedded within the pores of the porous material. Once absorption is complete, the porous material can be heated in the presence of one or more functional gases to reduce the metal precursors to metal alloy nanoparticles, and embed the metal alloy nanoparticles inside of the pores. As such, the metal alloy nanoparticles can be formed within the pores, while avoiding surface wetting and absorption problems which can occur with small pores.

Methods for making oxygen reduction reaction catalysts formed of platinum alloy nanoparticles embedded in porous carbon

A secondary ionomer that enhances activity and stability of a cathode catalyst in a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell includes the ionic liquid, 1-methyl-2,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-1H-pyrimido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-9-ium 1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4,4-nonafluorobutane-1-sulfonate ([MTBD][CFSO]). When contacting the catalyst, [MTBD][CFSO] enhances catalyst activity and stability more effectively than previously known ionomers, likely by preventing oxide formation and water adsorption at the catalyst surface. The disclosed secondary ionomer is thus most effective when completely coating the catalyst.

Ionic liquid as promotor to enhance the performance of oxygen reduction catalyst for fuel cell application

A battery has a three dimensional electrode including a current collector, electron directing members, each electron directing member having a perimeter edge attached to a surface of the current collector with a polymer binder, the electron directing members extending from the surface of the current collector and configured to direct electron flow along a layered direction of the electrode, an active material layer on the current collector and a separator. The electron directing members extend into the active material layer and having a free end in spaced relation to the separator.

Three dimensional electrode having electron directing members and method of making the same

Electrocatalysts having non-corrosive, non-carbon support particles are provided as well as the method of making the electrocatalysts and the non-corrosive, non-carbon support particles. Embodiments of the non-corrosive, non-carbon support particle consists essentially of titanium dioxide and ruthenium dioxide. Active catalyst particles of a platinum alloy are deposited onto each non-carbon composite support particle. The electrocatalyst can be used in fuel cells, for example.

Non-carbon mixed-metal oxide electrocatalysts

A method of making a three dimensional electrode having an active material layered between a current collector and a separator includes growing nanotubes at predetermined points on a first sheet of electron directing material, wherein the electron directing material is highly conductive and chemically inert; aligning the nanotubes in a direction perpendicular to the first sheet; functionalizing a distal end of each nanotube; bonding a second sheet of electron directing material to the functionalized distal end of each nanotube; depositing magnetic particles along the second sheet; applying a magnetic field to the magnetic particles to rotate the first sheet, the second sheet and the nanotubes ninety degrees to form an electron directing structure; and attaching the electron directing structure on a surface of the current collector with a polymer binder. The electron directing structure is configured to direct electron flow along a layered direction of the three dimensional electrode.

Electrocatalysts for use in fuel cell membrane electrode assemblies include a support substrate comprising a metal oxide nanotube having an internal support surface and conductive metal oxide particles impregnated on the internal support surface. Fuel cell electrodes are produced using the electrocatalyst coated on a gas diffusion layer.

Catalyst support particle structures

Electrocatalysts having non-corrosive, non-carbon support particles are provided as well as the method of making the electrocatalysts and the non-corrosive, non-carbon support particles. Embodiments of the non-corrosive, non-carbon support particle consists essentially of titanium dioxide and ruthenium dioxide. The electrocatalyst can be used in fuel cells, for example.

Growing community of inventors

Farmington Hills, MI, United States of America

Kan Huang