University of California

University of Delaware

Honeywell International Inc.

Yushan Yan

Shuang Gu

Xin Wang

Brian Setzler

Yun Zhao

Brett Holmberg

Junhua Wang

Zhengbao Wang

Bingjun Xu

Zhongwei Chen

Lan Wang

Keda Hu

Ke Gong

Huanting Wang

Rui Cai

Feng Wang

Eric M V Hoek

Shaun Alia

Xiaoliang Cheng

William Goddard

Byeong-Heon Jeong

Wenzhen Li

Mahesh Waje

Wei-Qiao Deng

Derek Beving

Bingzi Zhang

Mario Santiago Rojas Carbonell

Santiago Rojas-Carbonell

Shimshon Gottesfeld

Electrochemical devices including electrochemical pumps (ECPs) and fuel cell systems comprising a fuel cell and an ECP are disclosed. In particular, this electrochemical device can be an ECP that comprises an anode, a cathode and an anion exchange polymer separating the anode from the cathode. The ECP can be coupled to a hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cell (HEMFC) that is disclosed herein as a fuel cell system. These devices can be used in methods for removing carbon dioxide from air and for generating electricity.

Electrochemical devices and fuel cell systems

Poly(aryl alkylene) polymers or poly(aryl-crown ether-alkylene) polymers with pendant cationic groups are provided which have an alkaline-stable cation, such as imidazolium, introduced into a rigid aromatic polymer backbone free of ether bonds. Hydroxide exchange membranes or hydroxide exchange ionomers formed from these polymers exhibit superior chemical stability, hydroxide conductivity, decreased water uptake, good solubility in selected solvents, and improved mechanical properties in an ambient dry state as compared to conventional hydroxide exchange membranes or ionomers. Hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells and hydroxide exchange membrane electrolyzers comprising the poly(aryl alkylene) polymers or poly(aryl-crown ether-alkylene) polymers with pendant cationic groups exhibit enhanced performance and durability at relatively high temperatures.

Polymers having stable cationic pendant groups for use as anion exchange membranes

Poly(aryl piperidinium) polymers with pendant cationic groups are provided which have an alkaline-stable cation, piperidinium, introduced into a rigid aromatic polymer backbone free of ether bonds. Hydroxide exchange membranes or hydroxide exchange ionomers formed from these polymers exhibit superior chemical stability, hydroxide conductivity, decreased water uptake, good solubility in selected solvents, and improved mechanical properties in an ambient dry state as compared to conventional hydroxide exchange membranes or ionomers. Hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells comprising the poly(aryl piperidinium) polymers with pendant cationic groups exhibit enhanced performance and durability at relatively high temperatures.

Poly(aryl piperidinium) polymers including those with stable cationic pendant groups for use as anion exchange membranes and ionomers

Disclosed are nanocomposite membranes and methods for making and using same. In one aspect, the nanocomposite membrane comprises a film comprising a polymer matrix and nanoparticles disposed within the polymer matrix, wherein the film is substantially permeable to water and substantially impermeable to impurities. In a further aspect, the membrane can further comprise a hydrophilic layer. In a further aspect, the nanocomposite membrane comprises a film having a face, the film comprising a polymer matrix, a hydrophilic layer proximate to the face, and nanoparticles disposed within the hydrophilic layer, wherein the film is substantially permeable to water and substantially impermeable to impurities. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention.

Nanocomposite membranes and methods of making and using same

Poly(aryl piperidinium) polymers are provided which have an alkaline-stable cation, piperidinium, introduced into a rigid aromatic polymer backbone free of ether bonds. Hydroxide exchange membranes or hydroxide exchange ionomers formed from these polymers exhibit superior chemical stability, hydroxide conductivity, decreased water uptake, good solubility in selected solvents, and improved mechanical properties in an ambient dry state as compared to conventional hydroxide exchange membranes or ionomers. Hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells comprising the poly(aryl piperidinium) polymers exhibit enhanced performance and durability at relatively high temperatures.

Poly(aryl piperidinium) polymers for use as hydroxide exchange membranes and ionomers

A compound including a cation of the following structure is provided (1), wherein Q is selected from the group consisting of polymer residues and substituted or unsubstituted alkyl groups, and R is H or a polymer residue. A membrane including the above cation, and electrochemical devices employing this membrane, are also provided. 

Phosphonium cations and polymers incorporating them

A redox flow battery is provided having a double-membrane (one cation exchange membrane and one anion exchange membrane), triple-electrolyte (one electrolyte in contact with the negative electrode, one electrolyte in contact with the positive electrode, and one electrolyte positioned between and in contact with the two membranes). The cation exchange membrane is used to separate the negative or positive electrolyte and the middle electrolyte, and the anion exchange membrane is used to separate the middle electrolyte and the positive or negative electrolyte. This design physically isolates, but ionically connects, the negative electrolyte and positive electrolyte. The physical isolation offers great freedom in choosing redox pairs in the negative electrolyte and positive electrolyte, making high voltage of redox flow batteries possible. The ionic conduction drastically reduces the overall ionic crossover between negative electrolyte and positive one, leading to high columbic efficiency.

Double-membrane triple-electrolyte redox flow battery design

Metal nanotubes are provided comprising a composition having formula (M)NT: wherein M=Pt, Pd, or Au; wherein the nanotubes have: a wall thickness of from 2 to 12 nm; an outer diameter of from 30 to 100 nm; and a length of from 5 to 30 &#x3bc;m. Metal nanowires are also provided comprising a composition having formula (M)NW: wherein M=Ag or Cu; wherein when M=Ag, the nanowires have a diameter of from 25 to 60 nm and a length of from 1 to 10 &#x3bc;m; and when M=Cu, the nanowires have a diameter of from 50 to 100 nm and a length of from 10 to 50 &#x3bc;m. In other embodiments, fuel cells are also described having at least one anode; at least one cathode; an electrolyte membrane between the at least one anode and at least one cathode; and a catalyst comprising either of the above described metal nanotubes or nanowires.

Extended two dimensional metal nanotubes and nanowires useful as fuel cell catalysts and fuel cells containing the same

A redox flow battery is provided. The redox flow battery involves multiple-membrane (at least one cation exchange membrane and at least one anion exchange membrane), multiple-electrolyte (one electrolyte in contact with the negative electrode, one electrolyte in contact with the positive electrode, and at least one electrolyte disposed between the two membranes) as the basic characteristic, such as a double-membrane, triple electrolyte (DMTE) configuration or a triple-membrane, quadruple electrolyte (TMQE) configuration. The cation exchange membrane is used to separate the negative or positive electrolyte and the middle electrolyte, and the anion exchange membrane is used to separate the middle electrolyte and the positive or negative electrolyte.

Multiple-membrane multiple-electrolyte redox flow battery design

The present invention generally relates to cathodes used to produce chlorine gas from gaseous hydrogen chloride. The cathode comprises a cathode electrolyte comprising Fe(II) compounds and Fe(III) compounds in contact with an electron conductor. A reactor comprises a reactor solution comprising an oxidant in fluid contact with the cathode electrolyte. The fluid contact of the reactor solution with the cathode electrolyte allows the cathode electrolyte rich in Fe(II) compounds to be transferred to the reactor and combined with the reactor solution and the reactor solution rich in Fe(III) compounds to be transferred from the reactor to the cathode electrolyte after the oxidant of the reactor solution reacts with the electrolyte rich in Fe(II) compounds to form the reactor solution rich in Fe(III) compounds.

Electrolysis device for chlorine production

This invention provides a family of functionalized polymers capable of forming membranes having exceptional OHionic conductivity as well as advantageous mechanical properties. The invention also provides membranes including the provided polymers and AEMFC/HEMFC fuel cells including such membranes. In a preferred embodiment, preferred function groups include a quaternary phosphonium, and in a more preferred embodiment the provided polymer is (tris(2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl)phosphine)functionalized phosphonium polysulfone hydroxide.

Highly basic ionomers and membranes and anion/hydroxide exchange fuel cells comprising the ionomers and membranes

Electrocatalyst durability has been recently recognized as one of the most important issues that have to be addressed before the commercialization of the proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The present invention is directed to a new class of cathode catalysts based on supportless platinum nanotubes (PtNTs) and platinum alloy nanotubes, for example, platinum-palladium nanotubes (PtPdNTs), that have remarkable durability and high catalytic activity. Due to their unique combination of dimensions at multiple length scales, the platinum nanotubes of the present invention can provide high platinum surface area due to their nanometer-sized wall thickness, and have the potential to eliminate or alleviate most of the degradation pathways of the commercial carbon supported platinum catalyst (Pt/C) and unsupported platinum-black (PtB) as a result of their micrometer-sized length. The platinum nanotube catalysts of the present invention asymptotically approach a maximum of about twenty percent platinum surface area loss in durability test, while the commercial PtB and Pt/C catalysts lose about fifty-one percent and ninety percent of their initial surface area, respectively. Moreover, the PtNT and PtPdNT catalysts of the present invention show higher mass activity and much higher specific activity than commercial Pt/C and PtB catalysts.

Platinum and platinum based alloy nanotubes as electrocatalysts for fuel cells

This invention provides a family of functionalized polymers capable of forming membranes having exceptional OHionic conductivity as well as advantageous mechanical properties. The invention also provides membranes including the provided polymers and AEMFC/HEMFC fuel cells including such membranes. In a preferred embodiment, preferred function groups include a quaternary phosphonium, and in a more preferred embodiment the provided polymer is (tris(2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl) phosphine)functionalized phosphonium polysulfone hydroxide.

Growing community of inventors

Riverside, CA, United States of America

Yushan Yan