Description:
Reference #: 01408
The University of South Carolina is offering licensing opportunities for Co-electroless Deposition Methods for Formation of Methanol Fuel Cell Catalysts
Background:
Methanol is an alternative fuel for internal combustion engines that can be used in combination with gasoline or directly. Methanol burns at lower temperatures than gasoline, having lower energy content than gasoline subsequently requiring more fuel consumption than typical hydrocarbon fuels. The ability to prepare a wide range of platinum-containing bimetallic catalysts using co-electroless deposition provides a pathway to prepare multiple families of compositions for direct methanol fuel cell catalysts that will alleviate the strong kinetic inhibition effect of carbon monoxide strongly absorbed on surface platinum sites. This will increase activities and increase the viability of methanol as a feed for fuel cells, particularly in mobile sources such as automobiles and refueling stations. If fuel cells are ever to be used for motorized vehicles, methanol, rather than compressed hydrogen, will likely be preferred because of ease and safety of handling and the ability to quickly add methanol to standard gasoline refueling stations.
Invention Description:
Direct methanol fuel cells use a platinum catalyst that has been modified by the addition of a second metal such as copper, cobalt, nickel, and other base metals to lower the inhibiting effect of strongly-adsorbed carbon monoxide, an intermediate formed during methanol oxidation. Using co-electroless, we deposit both a second metal salt and a suitable platinum salt on a metal core component (core metal can be the same as the metals being deposited or a different metal) to give a uniform layer of platinum and second metal components. In this way, both metals are in intimate contact and interact during methanol oxidation to remove adsorbed carbon monoxide as CO2. since the atomic ratios of both metals deposited during coED, a wide range of bimetallic compositions can be prepared and compared for DMFC (direct methanol fuel cell) to identify the preferred composition. Very importantly, this method of preparation is straightforward, versatile, and can be easily scaled for larger-scale operation.
Potential Applications:
The ability to prepare a wide range of platinum-containing, bimetallic catalysts using co-electroless deposition provides a pathway to prepare multiple families of compositions for direct methanol fuel cell catalysts that will alleviate the strong kinetic inhibition effect of carbon monoxide strongly adsorbed on surface platinum sites. This will increase activities and increase the viability of methanol as a feed for fuel cells, particularly in mobile sources such as automobiles and refueling stations.
Advantages and Benefits:
Simplicity, scalability, safety, and lower cost of metals in the DMFC fuel cell catalysts are potentially breakthrough improvements in the application of this invention.