Composite three-dimensional electrodes and methods of fabrication
Disclosed are gas permeable 3D electrodes, preferably that have practical utility in, particularly, electro-energy and electro-synthetic applications. Gas permeable materials, such as non-conductive porous polymer membranes, are attached to one or more porous conductive materials. In another aspect there is provided a method for the fabrication of gas permeable 3D electrodes, for example gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs). The 3D electrodes can be utilized in electrochemical cells or devices.
1. A gas permeable 3D electrode comprising:
a gas permeable material that is non-conductive;
a porous conductive material attached to the gas permeable material; and
a binder material to attach the porous conductive material to the gas permeable material;
wherein the binder material is provided with a catalytic material; and
wherein a three-phase solid-liquid-gas boundary is able to form at or near a surface of the gas permeable material facing the porous conductive material.
2. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 1 , wherein the electrode is flexible.
3. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 2 , wherein the electrode is spiral-wound or rolled.
4. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 1 , wherein during use of the electrode the gas permeable material is impermeable to a liquid electrolyte, and the porous conductive material is permeable to the liquid electrolyte.
5. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 1 , wherein the porous conductive material is provided adjacent to the gas permeable material.
6. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 1 , wherein the porous conductive material abuts the gas permeable material.
7. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 1 , wherein the porous conductive material is selected from the group of: metallic meshes; metallic grids; metallic lattices; metallic cloths; perforated metallic sheets; polymeric meshes, grids, lattices or cloths coated with a metallic layer; carbon fibres or carbon cloths; and, porous or spaced apart metallic elements.
8. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 1 , wherein the binder material is provided with a conductive material.
9. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 1 , wherein the hinder material includes carbon black particles, graphene, carbon nanotubes, or buckyballs.
10. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 1 , wherein the binder material includes Nickel particles or nanoparticles.
11. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 1 , wherein the binder material includes an ionomer.
12. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 1 , wherein the binder material is present between the porous conductive material and the gas permeable material.
13. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 1 , wherein the binder material penetrates into the gas permeable material to a depth less than the thickness of the gas permeable material.
14. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 1 , wherein the binder material penetrates into or around the porous conductive material.
15. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 1 , comprising a barrier layer.
16. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 15 , wherein the barrier layer limits an amount of water vapor permeating through the electrode.
17. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 1 , wherein the gas permeable material has a characteristic pore size <500 nm.
18. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 1 , wherein the electrode has a wetting pressure between 0.2 bar and 10 bar.
19. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 1 , wherein the electrode has a width of about 0.05 in to about 2 in.
20. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 1 , wherein the electrode has a length of about 0.5 m to about 10 m.
21. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 1 , wherein in use the three-phase solid-liquid-gas boundary is macroscopically substantially two-dimensional in relation to the width of the 3D electrode.
22. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 1 , wherein the porous conductive material is at least partially formed using Nickel.
23. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 1 , wherein the porous conductive material is at least partially formed using Ti, Cr, Pt, Cu, Pb, Sn, Co, Mn, Au and/or Ag.
24. An electrochemical cell comprising the gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 1 .
25. The electrochemical cell of claim 24 , wherein the cell includes a plurality of the gas permeable 3D electrodes that are flexible.
26. A gas permeable 3D electrode comprising:
a gas permeable material that is non-conductive;
a first porous conductive material attached to the gas permeable material; and
a second porous conductive material positioned on an opposite side of the gas permeable material to the first porous conductive material;
wherein a three-phase solid-liquid-gas boundary is able to form at or near a surface of the gas permeable material facing the first porous conductive material.
27. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 26 , wherein during use of the electrode, the gas permeable material is impermeable to a liquid electrolyte, and the first porous conductive material is permeable to the liquid electrolyte.
28. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 26 , wherein the first porous conductive material is provided adjacent to the gas permeable material.
29. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 26 , wherein the first porous conductive material abuts the gas permeable material.
30. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 26 , further comprising a binder material to attach the first porous conductive material to the gas permeable material.
31. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 30 , wherein the binder material is provided with a catalytic material.
32. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 30 , wherein the binder material is provided with a conductive material.
33. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 30 , wherein the binder material includes carbon black particles, graphene, carbon nanotubes, or buckyballs.
34. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 30 , wherein the binder material includes Nickel particles or nanoparticles.
35. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 30 , wherein the binder material includes an ionomer.
36. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 30 , wherein the binder material is present between the first porous conductive material and the gas permeable material.
37. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 30 , wherein the binder material penetrates into the gas permeable material to a depth less than the thickness of the gas permeable material.
38. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 30 , wherein the binder material penetrates into or around the first porous conductive material.
39. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 26 , comprising a barrier layer.
40. The gas permeable 3D electrode of claim 39 , wherein the barrier layer limits an amount of water vapor permeating through the electrode.