Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Sumeet Bhargava

Chunxin Ji

Matthew Dioguardi

Gayatri Vyas Dadheech

Gerald W Fly

Matthew J Beutel

Daniel P Miller

James A Leistra

Courtney E Reich

A method of making an electrode ink containing nanostructured catalyst elements is described. The method comprises providing an electrocatalyst decal comprising a carrying substrate having a nanostructured thin catalytic layer thereon, the nanostructure thin catalytic layer comprising nanostructured catalyst elements; providing a transfer substrate with an adhesive thereon; transferring the nanostructured thin catalytic layer from the carrying substrate to the transfer substrate; removing the nanostructured catalyst elements from the transfer substrate; providing an electrode ink solvent; and dispersing the nanostructured catalyst elements in the electrode ink solvent. Electrode inks, coated substrates, and membrane electrode assemblies made from the method are also described.

Preparation of nanostructured thin catalytic layer-based electrode ink

Fuel-cell membrane-subgasket assemblies may include an electrolyte membrane and a coated subgasket overlying the electrolyte membrane around a perimeter of the electrolyte membrane so as to define an active area inside the perimeter. The coated subgasket may comprise a subgasket body formed from a subgasket material. At least one side of the coated subgasket includes a subgasket coating layer containing or formed from a coating material such as metals, ceramics, polymers, polymer composites, or other hard coatings. Fuel-cell assemblies may include gas diffusion media, a bipolar plate, and a fuel-cell membrane-subgasket assembly having a coated subgasket. Fuel-cell stacks may include clamping plates, unipolar endplates, and a plurality of individual fuel-cell assemblies, at least one of which includes a fuel-cell membrane-subgasket assembly having a coated subgasket.

Fuel-cell membrane-subgasket assemblies comprising coated subgaskets, and fuel-cell assemblies and fuel-cell stacks comprising the fuel-cell membrane subgasket assemblies

A method of making an electrode is provided. The method includes providing an electrocatalyst decal comprising a carrying substrate having a nanostructured thin catalytic layer thereon; providing a transfer substrate with an adjacent adhesive layer; adhering the nanostructured thin catalytic layer adjacent to the adhesive layer to form a composite structure; removing the carrying substrate from the composite structure; and removing the transfer substrate from the composite structure to form the stand-alone nanostructured thin catalytic film comprising the adhesive layer with the nanostructured thin catalytic layer adhered thereto. A stand alone nanostructured thin catalytic film and methods of constructing electrodes with the stand alone nanostructured thin catalytic films are also described.

Electrode containing nanostructured thin catalytic layers and method of making

An integrated fuel cell assembly is described. The integrated fuel cell assembly includes a polymer membrane; an anode electrode and a cathode electrode on opposite sides of the polymer membrane; a pair of gas diffusion media on opposite sides of the polymer membrane, the gas diffusion media comprising a microporous layer and a gas diffusion layer, the anode electrode and the cathode electrode positioned between the polymer membrane and the pair of gas diffusion media; a subgasket positioned around a perimeter of one of the gas diffusion media, the subgasket defining an active area inside the perimeter, the subgasket having a layer of thermally activated adhesive thereon; and a bipolar plate sealed to the subgasket by the layer of thermally activated adhesive. Methods of making the integrated fuel cell assembly and assembling fuel cell stacks are also described.

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Rochester, NY, United States of America

Sumeet Bhargava