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.

该奖项根据 2009 年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法 111-5）提供资金。该小型企业技术转让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。由于铂纳米粒子和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较低。 通过使用负载在高表面积载体上的高 Pt 含量催化剂可以缓解这一困难。石墨烯是一种单原子厚度的导电碳同素异形体，是一种理想的催化剂载体，罕见地兼具极高的比表面积、卓越的导热/导电性和良好的热稳定性。石墨烯催化剂载体将提高 Pt 催化剂的功效，延缓 Pt 纳米颗粒的烧结/团聚，并为电子传输提供电子连续性。 Allotropica Technologies 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应用。所提出的石墨烯-Pt复合材料中高表面积和低孔隙率的结合构成了一种新型电催化剂，它将实现更高的催化剂利用率并增强燃料电池的性能。燃料电池继续受到全世界的关注；欧盟和日本每年在燃料电池研究上花费超过 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质，通常采用分散在高表面积碳上的铂或合金铂纳米粒子的形式。我们建议利用石墨烯的超高表面积来支撑氢燃料电池中的 Pt 纳米颗粒催化剂。 我们的新型石墨烯-铂复合材料应该能够提高综合能源战略这一重要组成部分的性能效率、机械强度和热管理。