New Functional Ceramic Membranes Using Nanoporous Metals

2019 Fiscal Year Annual Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19F19074
• Research Institution: National Institute for Materials Science
• Principal Investigator: 目 義雄 国立研究開発法人物質・材料研究機構, 機能性材料研究拠点, NIMS招聘研究員 (00354217)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): JIANG BO 国立研究開発法人物質・材料研究機構, 機能性材料研究拠点, 外国人特別研究員
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-25 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: nanoporous metal / membrane / electrocatalyst

Outline of Annual Research Achievements

We proposed a route to nanoporous metal films and nanoparticles with various pore sizes by a simple electrodeposition method and chemicalreduction method, respectively. Compared to traditional liquid crystals, the used concentrations of the amphiphilic block copolymers are much low. The nanopore sizes in the nanoporous metals could be widely tuned from 5 to 30 nm, by changing the sizes of the surfactants that are used and adding a hydrophobic aromatic compound as an expander. Also, we tested the electrochemical property of new nanoporous alloys. Hierarchical nanoporous systems inelectrocatalysts can provide more active sites and effective surface permeability, which will greatly boost the faradic currents in catalytic reactions and result in the enhancement of catalytic activity.

Current Status of Research Progress

2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.

Reason

This project aims to create new avenues for large-scale and well-controlled synthesis of novel hierarchical nanoporous metals-based architectures and develop new conductive ‘membranes’ for electrocatalysts. In FY 2019, we focused on the formation of nanoporous metals from aqueous surfactant solution.
We proposed a route to nanoporous metal films and nanoporous metal nanoparticles with various pore sizes by a simple electrodeposition method and chemicalreduction method, respectively.
The nanopore sizes in the nanoporous metals could be widely tuned from 5 to 30 nm.
We tested the electrochemical property of new nanoporous alloys.
We have published one paper and are preparing one.

Strategy for Future Research Activity

Miniature fuel cells are considered as implantable micropower sources for medical devices. For these applications, it is desirable to prepare nanoporous metals in the form of membranes. For example, we will propose a new approach using diluted surfactant solutions for the preparation of Pt films with various types of nanopores by varying the surfactants and adding organic expanders. This approach allows for easy controlover the location, composition, thickness, and nanoporous structure of aparticular device, thus making it possible to design and fabricate new micro-DMFCs. Nanoporous catalytic layers can be uniformly coated on the conductive surface of membranes. The final target in this proposal is real applications in industry.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] A mesoporous non-precious metal boride system: synthesis of mesoporous cobalt boride by strictly controlled chemical reduction (2020)
  • Author(s): Bo Jiang, Hui Song, Yunqing Kang, Shengyao Wang, Qi Wang, Xin Zhou, Kenya Kani, Yanna Guo, Jinhua Ye, Hexing Li, Yoshio Sakka, Joel Henzie, Yamauchi Yusuke.
  • Journal Title: Chemical Science Volume: 11 Pages: 791-796
  • DOI: 10.1039/c9sc04498a
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research