[QuantumSphere - Energetics and Power for Advanced Applications] September 2005

QuantumSphere, Inc. is excited to announce we filed two patents related to the fuel cell and battery industry allowing for customization of nanometallic-additives for increased power and efficiency. The first patent supports our existing technology framework that will enable battery and fuel cell manufacturers to address novel methods to produce uniform air cathodes. Unique, proprietary features in nanopowder handling enables the production of air cathodes in small test sample sizes up to continuous production capability using the same apparatus, thereby enabling battery manufacturer’s R&D facilities to accomplish complex experimental designs related to gas electrode development while enhancing scale-up capability of resulting designs.

The second patent addresses gas diffusion electrodes for the fuel cell and metal air battery industry using nano-sized transition metal catalysts and alloys. These nanometal-containing cathodes can be used in conjunction with a variety of types of battery and fuel cells, including Zn/air, Li/air, hydrogen and direct methanol fuel cells. In addition, they are flexible and may conform to a variety of surface contours, allowing for more freedom in cell design to power a wider variety of devices.

“This technology allows QuantumSphere to provide customers the capability of developing and verifying cathode designs specific for their applications. For example, a methanol fuel cell and a zinc air battery have very different power and voltage requirements,” said Robert Dopp, President, DoppStein Enterprises, Inc. “Ratios of QuantumSphere-produced nanocatalysts can be optimized using this technology. The resulting cathodes use catalysts never tested before because the method to make small cathode samples did not exist, but also because, until recently, no one knew how to make the metallic nanopowders uniformly and in quantities large enough to test. QuantumSphere and DoppStein Enterprises, Inc, working in partnership, have resolved both of these issues. These inventions will lead to more efficient and more powerful fuel cells and metal air batteries using QuantumSphere’s nanocatalyst and powder handling process.”

“This new cathode making process, coupled with the addition of highly active catalyst is invaluable for the production of high-power density fuel cells and batteries which are streamlined and can be tailored to a wide array of devices– thereby providing significant performance advantages in the next generation cell phones, cameras, and other portable electronics,” said Dr. Kimberly McGrath, Director of Fuel Cell Research, QuantumSphere, Inc. “QuantumSphere will continue to work with world-class partners, such as DoppStein Enterprises and others, to research, develop, produce and ship alternative catalyst products on a mass scale at a fraction of the cost.” Dr. McGrath also tailors catalysts for various cell types and operating temperature regimes, and designs new fuel cell systems for small, portable applications that will be efficient at room temperature with minimal catalyst loading.

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