Hydrogen permeable protective coating for a catalytic surface
View Patent ↗A protective coating for a surface comprising a layer permeable to hydrogen, said coating being deposited on a catalyst layer; wherein the catalytic activity of the catalyst layer is preserved.
1. A protective coating for a surface comprising a layer permeable to hydrogen, said coating being deposited on a catalyst layer; wherein the catalytic activity of the catalyst layer is preserved;
wherein the layer permeable to hydrogen comprises a carbon material that is amorphous.
2. The protective coating of claim 1 , wherein the layer permeable to hydrogen is deposited using a vapor deposition process.
3. The protective coating of claim 2 , wherein the vapor deposition process is a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process.
4. The protective coating of claim 1 , wherein the layer permeable to hydrogen is deposited at room temperature.
5. The protective coating of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst layer is composed of platinum group metals.
6. The protective coating of claim 1 wherein the catalyst layer is composed of platinum group metals, or their alloys.
7. The protective coating of claim 1 , further comprising a chromogenic layer underlying said catalyst layer.
8. The protective coating of claim 7 , further comprising a substrate layer underlying said chromogenic layer.
9. A sensor for sensing the presence of hydrogen gas in an environment, the sensor comprising:
a protective layer permeable to hydrogen, wherein the protective layer comprises a amorphous carbon layer;
a catalyst layer deposited on said protective layer;
a chromogenic layer deposited on said catalyst layer; and
a substrate layer deposited on said chromogenic layer;
wherein the catalytic activity of the catalyst layer is preserved.
10. The sensor of claim 9 , wherein the protective layer is deposited using a vapor deposition process.
11. The sensor of claim 10 , wherein the vapor deposition process is a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process.
12. The sensor of claim 9 , wherein the protective layer is deposited at room temperature.
13. The sensor of claim 9 , wherein the catalyst layer is constructed of platinum group metals.
14. The sensor of claim 9 , wherein the catalyst layer is constructed of platinum group metals, or their alloys.
15. A protective coating for a surface, comprising a layer of amorphous carbon permeable to hydrogen, said amorphous carbon layer being deposited on a catalyst layer by a vapor deposition process, said catalyst overlying a chromogenic layer, said chromogenic layer overlying a substrate layer, wherein the catalytic activity of the catalyst is preserved.
16. The protective coating of claim 15 , wherein the catalyst layer is an anode for a fuel cell.
17. The protective coating of claim 15 , wherein the vapor deposition process comprises a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition process.
18. The protective coating of claim 17 , wherein the vapor deposition process uses ethylene as a processing gas.
19. A sensor for sensing the presence of gas in an environment, comprising:
a protective layer permeable to the gas, wherein the protective layer comprises amorphous carbon; and
a catalyst layer underlying the protective layer, wherein the catalytic activity of the catalyst layer is preserved.
20. The sensor of claim 19 , further comprising a chromogenic layer underlying the catalyst layer.
21. The sensor of claim 19 , wherein the protective layer acts as a diffusion barrier to at least hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, and sulfur-bearing gases.
22. The sensor of claim 19 , wherein the protective layer is deposited directly upon the catalyst layer using vapor deposition.
23. The sensor of claim 22 , wherein the vapor deposition is carried out at a temperature of about 30° C.
24. The sensor of claim 19 , wherein the catalyst layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of palladium, platinum, rhodium iridium, ruthenium, osmium, and alloys of these materials.