STTR Phase I: Graphene-Platinum Composite for Hydrogen Fuel Cells

STTR第一阶段：用于氢燃料电池的石墨烯-铂复合材料

• 批准号: 0930099
• 负责人: Yongchao Si
• 金额: $ 15万
• 依托单位: Allotropica Technologies
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-07-01 至 2010-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0930099&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: STTR; Phase; Graphene; Platinum; Composite

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).This Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I project will develop a multifunctional graphene-platinum composite for hydrogen fuel cells. High performance fuel cells currently have inefficient catalyst utilization due to limited contact between Pt nanoparticles and the solid proton conductor. This difficulty can be ameliorated by the use of high-Pt-content catalysts supported on high-surface-area supports. Graphene, a one-atom-thick, conductive allotrope of carbon, is an ideal catalyst support with a rare combination of extremely high specific surface area, remarkable thermal/electrical conductivity, and good thermal stability. Graphene catalyst supports will increase the efficacy of the Pt catalyst, retard the sintering/agglomeration of Pt nanoparticles, and provide electronic continuity for electron transport. Allotropica Technologies, in collaboration with the University of North Carolina, will exploit its newly discovered route to graphene for fuel cell applications. The combination of high surface area and low-porosity in the proposed graphene-Pt composite constitutes a new type of electrocatalyst, one that will achieve higher catalyst utilization and result in enhanced fuel cell performance.Fuel cells continue to attract attention worldwide; the European Union and Japan are spending more than $100 million annually on fuel cell research. The heart of a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane fuel cell is a membrane electrolyte sandwiched between two layers of catalyst, typically in the form of platinum or alloyed platinum nanoparticles dispersed onto a high surface area form of carbon. We propose to use the ultra-high surface area of graphene to support Pt nanoparticles catalysts in hydrogen fuel cells. Our novel graphene-Pt composite should lead to an improvement in performance efficiency, mechanical strength, and the thermal management in this important component of a comprehensive energy strategy.

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案(公法111-5)资助的。这个小企业技术转移第一阶段项目将开发用于氢燃料电池的多功能石墨烯-铂复合材料。由于铂纳米颗粒与固体质子导体之间的接触有限，高性能燃料电池目前的催化剂利用率很低。这一困难可以通过使用负载在高比表面积载体上的高铂含量催化剂来改善。石墨烯是一种单原子厚度的导电同素异形体，具有极高的比表面积、显著的导热/导电性和良好的热稳定性，是一种理想的催化剂载体。石墨烯催化剂载体将提高铂催化剂的效率，延缓铂纳米颗粒的烧结/团聚，并为电子传递提供电子连续性。阿特罗皮卡技术公司与北卡罗来纳大学合作，将利用其新发现的石墨烯路线用于燃料电池。所提出的石墨烯-铂复合材料的高比表面积和低孔隙率的组合构成了一种新型的电催化剂，这种催化剂将实现更高的催化剂利用率，并导致燃料电池性能的增强。燃料电池继续引起全世界的关注；欧盟和日本每年在燃料电池研究上的支出超过1亿美元。聚合物电解质膜燃料电池的核心是夹在两层催化剂之间的膜电解液，通常以铂或合金铂纳米颗粒的形式分散在高比表面积形式的碳上。我们建议利用超高比表面积的石墨烯来负载氢燃料电池中的纳米铂催化剂。我们的新型石墨烯-铂复合材料应该会在性能效率、机械强度和热管理方面带来改进，这是综合能源战略的重要组成部分。