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High Stability PtNiX-M Electrochemical Catalyst

Technology Benefits

Facile synthesis to add transition metals to a PtNiN material  High stability and activity Reduces the amount of noble metal used  Extends the fuel cell lifetime  Post-synthesis treatment improves catalytic activity

Technology Application

Catalysis  Fuel cell devices  MEA fuel cell component  Proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells

Detailed Technology Description

Researchers led by Professor Huang have developed an innovative and facile synthesis to introduce a transition metal (e.g., Cu, Co, Mn, Fe, Mo, Nb, W, Ta) to a PtNiN-based catalyst. After post-synthesis treatment, this novel catalyst showed significant improvement (2x) compared to the same catalysts without this treatment. This PtNiN-M catalyst uses a reduced amount of Pt and has an extended fuel cell device lifetime. Additionally, this material has outstanding activity and stability in membrane electrode assembly (MEA) based fuel cell tests.

Others

State Of Development

This novel material has been synthesized at large scales (1 gram/batch) and has been tested in MEA-based fuel cell tests. More conditions for post-synthesis treatment, elemental effects, and Pt concentration will be further explored to optimize its catalytic activity.

Background

Platinum-based alloy materials (e.g., Pt-Ni, Pt-Co) have a higher activity (up to 90x greater) than commercial Pt-C materials for use as catalysts in fuel cells. However, their use up to this point has been limited due to stability issues. Nanomaterial crystals have been shown to have superior performance over single crystals, making them a leading material candidate. However, Pt‐based nanostructures with both high catalytic activity and stability, which also have a reduced usage of scarce Pt, have remained a challenge.

Related Materials

X. Huang, E. Zhu, Y. Chen, Y. Li, C.-Y. Chiu, Y. Xu, Z. Lin, X. Duan, Y. Huang, A Facile Strategy to Pt3Ni Nanocrystals with Highly Porous Features as an Enhanced Oxygen Reduction Reaction Catalyst, Advanced Materials, 2013.

Additional Technologies by these Inventors

• High Performance Transition-Metal Doped PtNi Catalysts
• Stable Alloy Of Palladium Hydride With High Hydrogen Content

Tech ID/UC Case

29292/2017-514-0

Related Cases

2017-514-0

*Abstract

UCLA researchers in the Department of Material Science and Engineering have invented a novel and highly stable platinum-based catalyst material for fuel cell technologies.

*Principal Investigator

Name: Xiangfeng Duan

Department:

Name: Yu Huang

Department:

Name: Zipeng Zhao

Department:

Country/Region

USA