Core-Shell Fuel Cell Catalyst With Uniform Pt Shell and Nitrided Core

The patent combines the core formation and shell deposition steps into a single simultaneous manufacturing process. Both the core material and shell material are deposited together in one step, ensuring uniform shell thickness while maintaining manufacturing flexibility. This eliminates the sequential approach where the core is formed first, then the shell is added separately, which causes thickness non-uniformity.

The manufacturing process maintains continuous action by forming the core and shell in one uninterrupted step. The simultaneous deposition ensures that the shell material is uniformly distributed around the core without interruption, preventing the thickness variations that occur in sequential processes where the core may change shape or size between steps.

The patent changes the manufacturing parameters by using a single-step process that inherently achieves high nitrogen content in the core without requiring complex nitrogen injection technology. The simultaneous deposition method allows nitrogen to be incorporated into the core material during the deposition process itself, eliminating the need for separate injection steps and associated complexity.

The patent extracts the nitrogen injection step from the manufacturing process entirely. Instead of adding nitrogen separately through complex injection technology, the nitrogen is incorporated directly during the core formation step in the simultaneous deposition process, simplifying the overall manufacturing approach while maintaining high nitrogen content for improved durability.

The patent applies local quality by concentrating platinum only in the shell layer rather than distributing it throughout the entire catalyst structure. The core is made of non-platinum materials, and only the outer shell contains platinum, which maximizes the utilization of platinum at the catalytically active surface while minimizing overall platinum content and cost.

The patent uses composite materials by combining non-platinum core materials with a platinum shell. This core-shell composite structure leverages the high catalytic activity of platinum at the surface while using cheaper non-platinum materials for the bulk structure, reducing overall platinum requirements while maintaining high energy conversion efficiency.

The patent merges core formation and shell deposition into a single simultaneous process, ensuring uniform shell thickness. This uniformity is critical for durability because non-uniform shells create weak points and stress concentrations that lead to degradation. The simultaneous deposition ensures consistent protection across the entire catalyst surface.

The patent employs a vapor-phase deposition process where materials are delivered in gaseous form and simultaneously condensed on the substrate. This pneumatic approach ensures uniform distribution of both core and shell materials through vapor-phase transport, achieving consistent shell thickness that enhances catalyst durability while maintaining reduced platinum content.