摘要 |
The invention is a process for formation of an electrode on a solid polymer anion exchange membrane to increase rates of reaction at a reaction surface of the membrane. The process includes the steps of soaking a polymer anion exchange membrane in a solution containing an anionic entity wherein a desired metal catalyst is contained within the anionic entity so that anions containing the metal catalyst exchange into the membrane by electrostatic attraction, and exposing the membrane to a reducing agent so the metal catalyst is reduced to a metallic form to become physically secured at a reaction surface of the membrane to thereby form the electrode adjacent the reaction surface. In preparation of an electrode on an anion exchange membrane, the process is concluded by rinsing the membrane in distilled water and then the membrane is cycled through the soaking, exposing and rinsing steps until a desired level of catalyst loading is achieved. In a first preferred process, the polymer anion exchange membrane is a tetraflouroethelyene-flourinated ethylene propylene ("TFE-FEP") based membrane; the anionic entity is chloroplatinic acid; and the reducing agent is sodium borohydride. In a second preferred process, the polymer anion exchange membrane is a polyolefin based membrane; the anionic entity is potassium tetrachloroplatinate; and the reducing agent is sodium borohydride.
|