Thanh Do

US Patent:

20090312181, Dec 17, 2009

Filed:

Mar 27, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/412671

Inventors:

Thanh Ba Do - Ypsilanti MI, US
Mei Cai - Bloomfield Hills MI, US
Martin S. Ruthkosky - Sterling Heights MI, US

Assignee:

GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC. - Detroit MI

International Classification:

B01J 23/42
C01G 23/047
B01J 23/20
B01J 21/06

US Classification:

502339, 423610, 502350

Abstract:

A catalyst support material comprising TiO, and optionally being doped with a transition metal element, and a method for synthesizing the same have been developed. The catalyst support material exhibits an electrical conductivity comparable to widely-used carbon materials. This is because the TiOpresent is primarily arranged in its rutile crystalline phase. Furthermore, a mesoporous morphology provides the catalyst support material with appropriate porosity and surface area properties such that it may be utilized as part of a fuel cell electrode (anode and/or cathode). The TiO-based catalyst support material may be formed using a template method in which precursor titanium and transition metal alkoxides are hydrolyzed onto the surface of a latex template, dried, and heat treated.