Electrochemical cell having electrode comprising gold containing electrocatalyst
US5133842A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 15, 1991 |
| Grant date | Jul 28, 1992 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 15, 2011 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E60/50
- WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
The disclosed electrocatalyst material is useful in electrodes, especially in cathodes for the reduction of oxygen or peroxide to water or hydroxide. The electrocatalyst typically comprises 0.1 to 20 weight-%, based on the weight of the material, of a supported particulate elemental gold wherein the particles are apparently crystalline in nature, apparently with exposed (100) faces, but smaller in size than 5 nanometers (<.ANG.). These tiny monocrystals of gold are supported on carbon black or particulate conductive ceramic-like compounds having a B.E.T. surface area of at least 50 m.sup.2 /g. The supported gold monocrystals appear to be selective for the reductions described above, and performance in air- or O.sub.2 -cathodes is outstanding, e.g. >0.7 volts vs. RHE at 200 mA/cm.sup.2, generally indicating a substantial proportion of four-electron change reactions when oxygen is being reduced. The electrodes (which are also useful as anodes in acid electrolytes) are made by impregnating the support material with a reducible gold compound dissolved in a polar solvent, gently evaporating the solvent, and chemically reducing the gold compound in situ at a moderate temperature with a f…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.