IP Library Granted Patent US 9,847,532
Granted Patent B2
US 9,847,532 · App. 14/356,270 · Granted Dec 19, 2017

Fuel cell electrode catalyst layer, fuel cell electrode, fuel cell membrane electrode assembly and fuel cell having a proton-conductive material coated on a catalyst thereof

Inventors: Yoshitaka Ono (Yokohama, JP); Atsushi Ohma (Yokohama, JP); Norifumi Horibe (Fujisawa, JP); Kenichi Toyoshima (Yokohama, JP); Ken Akizuki (Yokohama, JP)
Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
H01M4/8657H01M4/8605H01M4/8642H01M4/8663H01M4/8668H01M4/8892H01M4/926H01M2250/20Y02T90/32
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,847,532
App. No.
14/356,270
Granted
Dec 19, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A fuel cell electrode catalyst layer ( 13 ) of the preset invention includes: a catalyst ( 131 b ); a support ( 131 a ) that supports the catalyst; and two or more proton-conductive materials ( 133 ) different in dry mass value per mole of a proton-donating group, the proton-conductive materials being in contact with at least a part of the catalyst and at least a part of the support. Then, a proton-conductive material in which a dry mass value per mole of the proton-donating group is highest among the proton-conductive materials is in contact with at least a part of the catalyst, and has a largest contact ratio with a surface of the catalyst.

Claims (46)

1. A fuel cell electrode catalyst layer comprising a catalyzer, the catalyzer comprising:

a catalyst;

a support that supports the catalyst; and

two or more proton-conductive materials different in dry mass value per mole of a proton-donating group, all of the proton-conductive materials being in contact with at least a part of the catalyst and at least a part of the support,

wherein a proton-conductive material in which a dry mass value per mole of the proton-donating group is highest among the proton-conductive materials is in contact with at least a part of the catalyst, and has a largest contact ratio of the proton-conductive materials with a surface of the catalyst among the proton-conductive materials.

2. The fuel cell electrode catalyst layer according to claim 1 , wherein the proton-donating group is a sulfonic acid group, and

a dry mass value per mole of the sulfonic acid group in the proton-conductive material in which a dry mass value per mole of the sulfonic acid group is highest among the proton-conductive materials is 1200 g/eq or more.

3. The fuel cell electrode catalyst layer according to claim 1 , wherein the proton-donating group is a sulfonic acid group, and

the proton-conductive materials include a proton-conductive material in which a dry mass value per mole of the sulfonic acid group is 1200 g/eq or more, and

a ratio, with respect to the support, of the proton-conductive material in which the dry mass value per mole of the sulfonic acid group is 1200 g/eq or more is 0.5 or less in a mass ratio.

4. The fuel cell electrode catalyst layer according to claim 1 , wherein the proton-donating group is a sulfonic acid group, and

the proton-conductive materials are composed of: a proton-conductive material in which a dry mass value per mole of the sulfonic acid group is 1200 g/eq or more; and a proton-conductive material in which a dry mass value per mole of the sulfonic acid group is 700 g/eq or less.

5. The fuel cell electrode catalyst layer according to claim 1 , wherein a contact ratio (θ) of the proton-conductive materials with the support is 0.4 or more, the contact ratio (θ) being represented by a following Expression (1):

θ=( C dl _ 30% )/( C dl _ 100% )  (1)

where “C dl _ 30% ” is an electrical double layer capacitance at relative humidity of 30%, and “C dl _ 100% ” is an electrical double layer capacitance at relative humidity of 100%.

6. The fuel cell electrode catalyst layer according to claim 1 , wherein a supported amount of the catalyst is 0.35 mg/cm 2 or less.

7. The fuel cell electrode catalyst layer according to claim 1 , wherein a supported amount of the catalyst is 0.12 mg/cm 2 or less.

8. The fuel cell electrode catalyst layer according to claim 1 , wherein the support is a carbon support, and a specific surface area of the carbon support is 150 m 2 /g or more.

9. The fuel cell electrode catalyst layer according to claim 8 , wherein a contact ratio (θ) of the proton-conductive materials with the carbon support is 0.4 or less, the contact ratio (θ) being represented by a following Expression (1):

θ=( C dl _ 30% )/( C dl _ 100% )  (1)

where “C dl _ 30% ” is an electrical double layer capacitance at relative humidity of 30%, and “C dl _ 100% ” is an electrical double layer capacitance at relative humidity of 100%.

10. The fuel cell electrode catalyst layer according to claim 1 , wherein the support is a carbon support, and a specific surface area of the carbon support is 700 m 2 /g or more.

11. The fuel cell electrode catalyst layer according to claim 10 , wherein a contact ratio (θ) of the proton-conductive materials with the carbon support is 0.35 or less, the coating ratio contact ratio (θ) being represented by a following Expression (1):

θ=( C dl _ 30% )/ ( C dl _ 100% )  (1)

where “C dl _ 30% ” is an electrical double layer capacitance at relative humidity of 30%, and “C dl _ 100% ” is an electrical double layer capacitance at relative humidity of 100%.

12. A fuel cell electrode comprising: the fuel cell electrode catalyst layer according to claim 1 .

13. A fuel cell membrane electrode assembly comprising: the fuel cell electrode catalyst layer according to claim 1 .

14. A fuel cell comprising: the fuel cell membrane electrode assembly according to claim 13 .

15. A fuel cell comprising:

a fuel cell membrane electrode assembly having a fuel cell electrode catalyst layer, the fuel cell electrode catalyst layer comprising a catalyzer comprising:

a catalyst;

a support that supports the catalyst; and

two or more proton-conductive materials different in dry mass value per mole of a proton-donating group, the proton-conductive materials being in contact with at least a part of the catalyst and at least a part of the support, wherein

a proton-conductive material in which a dry mass value per mole of the proton-donating group is highest among the proton-conductive materials is in contact with at least a part of the catalyst, and has a largest contact ratio of the proton-conductive materials with a surface of the catalyst among the proton-conductive materials,

the fuel cell electrode catalyst layer has the catalyzer in a plane of the electrode catalyst layer, and a mass ratio of a proton-conductive material with a low dry mass value per mole of the proton-donating group to a proton-conductive material with a high dry mass value per mole of the proton-donating group differ in portions of the plane of the fuel cell electrode catalyst layer, and

the catalyzer is contained in a manner such that the catalyzer in which a mass ratio of the proton-conductive material with the high dry mass value per mole of the proton-donating group to the proton-conductive material with the low dry mass value per mole of the proton-donating group is large is arranged in a region where relative humidity of gas in a gas flow passage is 90% or more, and the catalyzer in which the mass ratio is small is arranged in a region where relative humidity of gas in the gas flow passage is less than 90%.

16. A fuel cell comprising:

a fuel cell membrane electrode assembly having a fuel cell electrode catalyst layer, the fuel cell electrode catalyst layer comprising a catalyzer comprising:

a catalyst;

a support that supports the catalyst; and

two or more proton-conductive materials different in dry mass value per mole of a proton-donating group, the proton-conductive materials being in contact with at least a part of the catalyst and at least a part of the support, wherein

a proton-conductive material in which a dry mass value per mole of the proton-donating group is highest among the proton-conductive materials is in contact with at least a part of the catalyst, and has a largest contact ratio of the proton-conductive materials with a surface of the catalyst among the proton-conductive materials,

the fuel cell electrode catalyst layer has the catalyzer in a plane of the electrode catalyst layer, and a mass ratio of a proton-conductive material with a low dry mass value per mole of the proton-donating group to a proton-conductive material with a high dry mass value per mole of the proton-donating group differ in portions of the plane of the fuel cell electrode catalyst layer, and

the catalyzer is contained in a manner such that the catalyzer in which a mass ratio of the proton-conductive material with the high dry mass value per mole of the proton-donating group to the proton-conductive material with the low dry mass value per mole of the proton-donating group is large is arranged in a region in a vicinity of a gas discharge port, and the catalyzer in which the mass ratio is small is arranged in a region other than a vicinity of the gas discharge port.

17. The fuel cell electrode catalyst layer according to claim 1 , wherein the electrode catalyst layer is formed on a surface of a polymer electrolyte membrane.

18. The fuel cell electrode catalyst layer according to claim 1 , wherein the two or more proton-conductive materials are concentric.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 6, 2014
From: ONO, YOSHITAKA; OHMA, ATSUSHI; HORIBE, NORIFUMI; TOYOSHIMA, KENICHI; AKIZUKI, KEN
To: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 032831/0885 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2011-247610 · Nov 11, 2011 · national
JP 2012-127269 · Jun 4, 2012 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20140287343A1 · Sep 25, 2014