Metal-carbon nanostructures and method of manufacturing thereof

Abstract

A method of producing a fuel from carbon dioxide comprising performing a carbon dioxide electroreduction using a cathode comprising carbon powder, the carbon powder composed of carbon particles with metallic particles deposited on the carbon particles, wherein a product of the carbon dioxide electroreduction is the fuel.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Graphene powder composed of graphene nanoflakes comprising metallic particles deposited thereon, wherein said metallic particles comprise at least one of:
 copper; copper oxide; copper sulfide; tin; tin sulfide; tin oxide; iridium dihydride; iron carbonyl; one or more manganese complexes; one or more rhodium complexes; one or more iron complexes; one or more copper complexes; bismuth; one or more bismuth complexes; cobalt oxide; one or more ruthenium complexes; one or more rhenium complexes; one or more osmium complexes; lead; lead oxide; mercury; and an alloy of one or more metals selected from copper, tin, bismuth, lead, mercury and iron.   
     
     
         2 . The graphene powder as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said metallic particles are at least one of:
 copper; copper oxide; copper sulfide; tin; tin sulfide; tin oxide; iridium dihydride; iron carbonyl; one or more manganese complexes; one or more rhodium complexes; one or more copper complexes; bismuth; one or more bismuth complexes; cobalt oxide; one or more ruthenium complexes; one or more rhenium complexes; one or more osmium complexes; lead; lead oxide; mercury; and an alloy of one or more metals selected from copper, tin, bismuth, lead, mercury and iron.   
     
     
         3 . The graphene powder as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said metallic particles comprise at least one of:
 copper; copper oxide; copper sulfide; tin; tin sulfide; tin oxide; and alloy of copper and tin.   
     
     
         4 . The graphene powder as defined in  claim 3 , wherein said metallic particles comprise metallic nanoparticles. 
     
     
         5 . The graphene powder as defined in  claim 4 , wherein said graphene nanoflakes are composed of five to twenty stacked layers of graphene. 
     
     
         6 . The graphene powder as defined in  claim 5 , wherein copper composes at least 15% wt of said graphene nanoflakes. 
     
     
         7 . An electrode comprising said graphene powder as defined in  claim 6 . 
     
     
         8 . The electrode as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said electrode comprises a gas diffusion layer and a binding polymer, said binding polymer binding said graphene powder to said gas diffusion layer. 
     
     
         9 . A method of manufacturing carbon particles with metallic particle deposits, comprising:
 introducing carbon particles into a hydrophilic solvent, resulting in a mixture;   dissolving a metal salt in said mixture;   drying said mixture containing said dissolved metal salt; and   pyrolyzing said dried mixture containing said dissolved metal salt to yield said carbon particles with metal particle deposits.   
     
     
         10 . The method as defined in  claim 9 , wherein said metal salt comprises one or more of:
 copper salt and tin salt.   
     
     
         11 . The method as defined in  claim 10 , wherein said metal salt is copper salt. 
     
     
         12 . The method as defined in  claim 11 , wherein said copper salt is CuSO 4  and said copper particle deposits comprise at least one of copper sulfide and copper oxide. 
     
     
         13 . The method as defined in  claim 12 , wherein the mass of copper introduced into the hydrophilic solvent is at least 20 wt %. 
     
     
         14 . The method as defined in  claim 13 , wherein said carbon particles are graphene nanoflakes, and said introduced carbon particles are introduced graphene nanoflakes composed of stacked layers of graphene. 
     
     
         15 . The method as defined in  claim 14 , wherein said introduced graphene nanoflakes are composed of five to twenty stacked layers of graphene. 
     
     
         16 . The method as defined in  claim 15 , wherein said hydrophilic solvent is a mixture of water and ethanol. 
     
     
         17 . The method as defined in  claim 16 , wherein said pyrolysis is performed at a temperature above 500° C. 
     
     
         18 . Carbon particles with metal particle deposits manufactured in accordance with the method as defined in  claim 17 . 
     
     
         19 . A method of producing a fuel from carbon dioxide comprising performing a carbon dioxide electroreduction using a cathode comprising carbon powder, said carbon powder composed of carbon particles with metallic particles deposited on said carbon particles, wherein a product of said carbon dioxide electroreduction is said fuel. 
     
     
         20 . The method as defined in  claim 19 , wherein said metallic particles comprise at least one of:
 copper; copper oxide; copper sulfide; tin; tin sulfide; tin oxide; iridium dihydride; iron carbonyl; one or more manganese complexes; one or more rhodium complexes; one or more iron complexes; one or more copper complexes; bismuth; one or more bismuth complexes; cobalt oxide; one or more ruthenium complexes; one or more rhenium complexes; one or more osmium complexes; lead; lead oxide; mercury; and an alloy of one or more metals selected from copper, tin, bismuth, lead, mercury and iron.