Fuel cell comprising oxygen electrode with surface nanostructure

Abstract

The present invention is aimed to realize, in a fuel cell with an oxygen electrode (a catalytic electrode), both catalytic function and immobilization of the catalyst nanoparticles when the catalyst nanoparticles are very small nanoparticles in the size of 1-3 nm. Oxygen electrode used in the fuel cell according to the present invention is an oxygen electrode comprising a plurality of carbon particles, a carbon thin-film, and surface nanostructure, wherein the carbon particles are bonded to one another with the carbon thin-film 2, the surface nanostructure is formed on the surface of the carbon thin-film, the surface nanostructure comprises catalyst nanoparticles made of platinum (Pt) and carbon nanoparticles, diameter of each of the carbon particles is 30 nm or more and 100 nm or less, diameter of the catalyst nanoparticle is 1.7 nm or more and 3.1 nm or less, and diameter of the carbon nanoparticle is 1.0 nm or more and 11.2 nm or less. According to this combination of these elements, the catalyst nanoparticles are confined within three-dimensional structure to be formed by the carbon nanoparticles and are immobilized without losing space which allows any reactant to be accessed to the surface of the catalyst nanoparticles.

1 . A fuel cell comprising an oxygen electrode, a hydrogen electrode and solid polyelectrolyte, wherein
 the solid polyelectrolyte is sandwiched between the oxygen electrode and the hydrogen electrode,   the oxygen electrode is a layered electrode comprising   (a) a plurality of carbon particles,   (b) a carbon thin-film and   (c) surface nanostructure, wherein   (d) the carbon particles  1  are bonded to one another with the carbon thin-film,   (e) the surface nanostructure is formed on the surface of the carbon thin-film,   (f) the surface nanostructure comprises catalyst nanoparticles made of platinum and carbon nanoparticles,   (g) diameter of each of the carbon particles is 30 nm or more and 100 nm or less,   (h) diameter of the catalyst nanoparticle is 1.7 nm or more and 3.1 nm or less, and   (i) diameter of the carbon nanoparticle is 1.0 nm or more and 11.2 nm or less.   
   
   
       2 . The fuel cell according to  claim 1 , wherein said catalyst nanoparticles immobilized in the form of contacting with a plurality of said carbon particles.