IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,444,754
Granted Patent B2
US 12,444,754 · App. 18/161,117 · Granted Oct 14, 2025

Electrochemical oxygen reduction catalyst, air electrode, fuel cell, and metal-air cell

Inventors: Keiichi Okubo (Toyota, JP); Tsutomu Ioroi (Ikeda, JP); Shin-Ichi Yamazaki (Toyonaka, JP); Masafumi Asahi (Ikeda, JP)
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
H01M4/9008H01M4/921H01M4/925H01M8/1018H01M12/08H01M2004/8689H01M2008/1095
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,444,754
App. No.
18/161,117
Granted
Oct 14, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

There is provided an electrochemical oxygen reduction catalyst including metal particles having oxygen reduction activity, an additive, and primary particles of a carrier having pores, in which the additive is at least one organic nitrogen compound, the metal particles are supported on the carrier, and in a case where metal particles that are present on an outermost surface of the primary particles of the carrier are defined as outer particles, and metal particles that are present on an inner side of the outermost surface of the primary particles of the carrier are defined as inner particles, a ratio of a total surface area of the outer particles to a total surface area of the inner particles (the total surface area of the outer particles/the total surface area of the inner particles) is 0.36 or more.

Claims (48)

1. An electrochemical oxygen reduction catalyst comprising:

metal particles having oxygen reduction activity;

an additive; and

primary particles of a carrier having pores, wherein:

the additive is at least one organic nitrogen compound;

the metal particles are supported on the carrier; and

in a case where metal particles that are present on an outermost surface of the primary particles of the carrier are defined as outer particles, and metal particles that are present on an inner side of the outermost surface of the primary particles of the carrier are defined as inner particles,

a ratio of a total surface area of the outer particles to a total surface area of the inner particles (the total surface area of the outer particles/the total surface area of the inner particles) is 0.36 or more.

2. The electrochemical oxygen reduction catalyst according to claim 1 , wherein the organic nitrogen compound is a monomer represented by General Formula (1), (2) or (3), or a polymer at least partially containing the monomer,

in General Formulae (1) to (3), R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are each a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, or a functional group selected from a group of functional groups consisting of a nitrile group, an amide group, an imine group, an amino group, a thiol group, a hydroxyl group, a sulfo group, a carboxylate group, a phosphate group, a ketone group, an aldehyde group, an ester group, an alkoxy group, a phenol group, a cyclopentyl group, a cyclohexyl group, an alkylamino group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkyl sulfonate group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a perfluoroalkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkenylamino group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkenyl sulfonate group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a perfluoroalkenyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and an alkenyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, where the functional groups each have, in a molecular chain, at least one selected from the group consisting of at least one functional group selected from the group of the functional groups, an aromatic ring, a heterocyclic ring, an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom, a nitrogen atom, a fluorine atom, a chlorine atom, a bromine atom, an iodine atom, and a hydrogen atom.

3. The electrochemical oxygen reduction catalyst according to claim 1 , wherein the metal particle is at least one selected from the group consisting of a platinum particle, a platinum alloy particle, and a composite particle containing platinum.

4. An air electrode comprising:

the electrochemical oxygen reduction catalyst according to claim 1 ; and

a polymer electrolyte having an ion exchange group.

5. A fuel cell comprising the air electrode according to claim 4 as a cathode.

6. A metal-air cell comprising the air electrode according to claim 4 as a cathode.

7. An electrochemical oxygen reduction catalyst comprising:

metal particles having oxygen reduction activity;

an additive; and

primary particles of a carrier having pores, wherein:

the additive is at least one organic nitrogen compound;

the metal particles are supported on the carrier; and

in a case where metal particles that are present on an outermost surface of the primary particles of the carrier are defined as outer particles, and metal particles that are present on an inner side of the outermost surface of the primary particles of the carrier are defined as inner particles,

a ratio of a total number of the outer particles to a total number of the inner particles (the total number of the outer particles/the total number of the inner particles) is 0.37 or more.

8. The electrochemical oxygen reduction catalyst according to claim 7 , wherein the organic nitrogen compound is a monomer represented by General Formula (1), (2) or (3), or a polymer at least partially containing the monomer,

in General Formulae (1) to (3), R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are each a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, or a functional group selected from a group of functional groups consisting of a nitrile group, an amide group, an imine group, an amino group, a thiol group, a hydroxyl group, a sulfo group, a carboxylate group, a phosphate group, a ketone group, an aldehyde group, an ester group, an alkoxy group, a phenol group, a cyclopentyl group, a cyclohexyl group, an alkylamino group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkyl sulfonate group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a perfluoroalkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkenylamino group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkenyl sulfonate group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a perfluoroalkenyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and an alkenyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, where the functional groups each have, in a molecular chain, at least one selected from the group consisting of at least one functional group selected from the group of the functional groups, an aromatic ring, a heterocyclic ring, an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom, a nitrogen atom, a fluorine atom, a chlorine atom, a bromine atom, an iodine atom, and a hydrogen atom.

9. The electrochemical oxygen reduction catalyst according to claim 7 , wherein the metal particle is at least one selected from the group consisting of a platinum particle, a platinum alloy particle, and a composite particle containing platinum.

10. An air electrode comprising:

the electrochemical oxygen reduction catalyst according to claim 7 ; and

a polymer electrolyte having an ion exchange group.

11. A fuel cell comprising the air electrode according to claim 10 as a cathode.

12. A metal-air cell comprising the air electrode according to claim 10 as a cathode.

13. An electrochemical oxygen reduction catalyst comprising:

metal particles having oxygen reduction activity;

an additive; and

primary particles of a carrier having pores, wherein:

the additive is at least one organic nitrogen compound;

the metal particles are supported on the carrier; and

in a case where metal particles that are present on an outermost surface of the primary particles of the carrier are defined as outer particles, and metal particles that are present on an inner side of the outermost surface of the primary particles of the carrier are defined as inner particles,

a ratio of a total volume of the outer particles to a total volume of the inner particles (the total volume of the outer particles/the total volume of the inner particles) is 0.43 or more.

14. The electrochemical oxygen reduction catalyst according to claim 13 , wherein the organic nitrogen compound is a monomer represented by General Formula (1), (2) or (3), or a polymer at least partially containing the monomer,

in General Formulae (1) to (3), R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are each a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, or a functional group selected from a group of functional groups consisting of a nitrile group, an amide group, an imine group, an amino group, a thiol group, a hydroxyl group, a sulfo group, a carboxylate group, a phosphate group, a ketone group, an aldehyde group, an ester group, an alkoxy group, a phenol group, a cyclopentyl group, a cyclohexyl group, an alkylamino group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkyl sulfonate group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a perfluoroalkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkenylamino group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkenyl sulfonate group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a perfluoroalkenyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and an alkenyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, where the functional groups each have, in a molecular chain, at least one selected from the group consisting of at least one functional group selected from the group of the functional groups, an aromatic ring, a heterocyclic ring, an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom, a nitrogen atom, a fluorine atom, a chlorine atom, a bromine atom, an iodine atom, and a hydrogen atom.

15. The electrochemical oxygen reduction catalyst according to claim 13 , wherein the metal particle is at least one selected from the group consisting of a platinum particle, a platinum alloy particle, and a composite particle containing platinum.

16. An air electrode comprising:

the electrochemical oxygen reduction catalyst according to claim 13 ; and

a polymer electrolyte having an ion exchange group.

17. A fuel cell comprising the air electrode according to claim 16 as a cathode.

18. A metal-air cell comprising the air electrode according to claim 16 as a cathode.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 31, 2023
From: OKUBO, KEIICHI; IOROI, TSUTOMU; YAMAZAKI, SHIN-ICHI; ASAHI, MASAFUMI
To: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 062541/0249 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2022-051204 · Mar 28, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240274838A1 · Aug 15, 2024
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