Method for manufacturing oxygen reduction electrode, oxygen reduction electrode and electrochemical element using same

Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to provide an oxygen reduction electrode which provides four-electron reduction reaction with high selectivity in the reaction of reducing oxygen. The present invention involves a method of manufacturing an electrode for reducing oxygen used for four-electron reduction of oxygen, having (1) a first step wherein a charcoal-based material is obtained by carbonization of a starting material comprising a nitrogen-containing synthetic polymer, and (2) a second step wherein the electrode for reducing oxygen is manufactured using an electrode material comprising the charcoal-based material.

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A method for performing a four-electron reduction of oxygen in a generator cell;
 (1) the generator cell comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte;   (2) the electrolyte being interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode;   (3) the four-electron reduction of oxygen being conducted on the positive electrode;   (4) the positive electrode being obtained by a process comprising:
 (a) a first step of obtaining a charcoal-based material by carbonizing a starting raw material comprising a nitrogen-containing synthetic polymer at a temperature from 500 to 1000° C. in an atmosphere of 10% or less oxygen concentration by volume, and subjecting the charcoal-based material to steam activation; and 
 (b) a second step of producing the positive electrode using an electrode material containing the steam-activated charcoal-based material; and 
   (5) said method comprising:   a step of supplying oxygen and water to the positive electrode.   
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein the nitrogen-containing synthetic polymer is made from at least one kind of monomer having one or more nitrogen atoms in the molecule. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein the nitrogen-containing synthetic polymer is at least one selected from the group consisting of a polyacrylonitrile, a polyimide, a polyamide, a polyurethane, a polyurea and a polyaniline. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein the atmosphere is an inert gas atmosphere. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein the positive electrode is produced in the second step by forming the electrode material into a specific shape to obtain a formed body, and laminating or pressure-bonding the formed body to an electrically conductive base. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein the positive electrode is produced in the second step by preparing a paste containing the electrode material, and coating the paste onto an electrically conductive base. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 20  wherein an inorganic component is added to at least one of the starting material, the charcoal-based material and the electrode material. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 26 , wherein the inorganic component comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of manganese, silicon, aluminum, phosphorus, calcium, potassium and magnesium. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein the charcoal-based material exhibits the infrared absorption in the range of from about 3000 to 3500 cm −1 . 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 28 , wherein the infrared absorption is based on stretching of nitrogen (N)−hydrogen (H). 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein the charcoal-based material exhibits the infrared absorption in the range of from about 2000 to 2300 cm −1 . 
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 30 , wherein the infrared absorption is based on stretching of carbon (C)=nitrogen (N) of nitrile. 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 30 , wherein the infrared absorption is based on stretching of nitrogen (N)=carbon (C)=nitrogen (N) of carbodiimide. 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 30 , wherein the infrared absorption is based on stretching of carbon (C)=nitrogen (N). 
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein the charcoal-based material exhibits the infrared absorption in the range of from about 1600 to 1800 cm −1 . 
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein the infrared absorption is based on stretching of nitrogen (N)−carbon (C)=oxygen (O) of amide or imide. 
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein the charcoal-based material exhibits 1) the infrared absorption in the range of from about 3000 to 3500 cm −1 , 2) the infrared absorption in the range of from about 2000 to 2300 cm −1  and 3) the infrared absorption in the range of from about 1600 to 1800 cm −1 . 
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein at least one type of metal and oxide thereof is added to at least one of the starting material, the charcoal-based material and the electrode material. 
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 37 , wherein the oxide is a lower oxide of manganese represented by the general formula MnO y , wherein y is a number of oxygen atoms determined by the valence of manganese (Mn), and is less than two. 
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein metal is added to at least one of the starting material, the charcoal-based material and the electrode material.