Carbon catalyst, method for producing carbon catalyst, fuel cell, electricity storage device, and use of carbon catalyst

Abstract

The present invention is made to provide a carbon catalyst which has high catalytic activity and can achieve high catalyst performance. A carbon catalyst has nitrogen introduced therein. The value of energy peak area ratio of a first nitrogen atom whose electron in the is orbital has a binding energy of 398.5±1.0 eV to a second nitrogen atom whose electron in the is orbital has a binding energy of 401±1.0 eV (i.e., the value of (the first nitrogen atom)/(the second nitrogen atom)) of the introduced nitrogen is 1.2 or less.

1 . A carbon catalyst having nitrogen introduced into the catalyst, comprising:
 at least one transition metal or a compound comprising the at least one transition metal selected from the group consisting of cobalt (Co), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), titanium (Ti), chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), zirconium (Zr), and tantalum (Ta); and   introduced nitrogen, which has been introduced into the catalyst,   wherein a value of an energy peak area ratio of a first nitrogen atom whose electron in the 1 s orbital has a binding energy of 398.5±1.0 eV to a second nitrogen atom whose electron in the 1 s orbital has a binding energy of 401±1.0 eV, i.e., the value of (the first nitrogen atom)/(the second nitrogen atom), of the introduced nitrogen is 1.2 or less.   
     
     
         2 . The carbon catalyst according to  claim 1 , wherein the carbon catalyst is suitable for oxygen reduction. 
     
     
         3 . The carbon catalyst according to  claim 1 , wherein a content of nitrogen atoms on a surface of the catalyst is within a range of 0.01 to 0.3 by atomic ratio, with respect to carbon atoms on the surface. 
     
     
         4 . The carbon catalyst according to  claim 1 , wherein the value of the energy peak ratio is within a range of 0.8 to 1.2. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . A method for producing a carbon catalyst, the method comprising:
 preparing a carbon precursor polymer with a polyacrylonitrile-polymethacrylic acid copolymer;   mixing at least one transition metal or a compound comprising the at least one transition metal and a carbon precursor compound comprising nitrogen atoms as a constituent element, into the carbon precursor polymer, to give a mixture; and   carbonizing the mixture of the carbon precursor compound, the transition metal or the compound thereof comprising the at least one transition metal, and the carbon precursor polymer,   wherein the at least one transition metal is selected from the group consisting of cobalt (Co), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), titanium (Ti), chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), zirconium (Zr), and tantalum (Ta).   
     
     
         7 . The method for producing the carbon catalyst according to  claim 6 , wherein the carbon precursor compound is an imidazole. 
     
     
         8 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A method for producing a carbon catalyst comprising:
 preparing a carbon precursor polymer with a polybenzimidazole;   mixing at least one transition metal or a compound comprising the at least one transition metal into the carbon precursor polymer;   carbonizing a mixture of a carbon precursor compound and the carbon precursor polymer; and   adding nitrogen to the carbon precursor polymer which has undergone the carbonizing,   wherein the at least one transition metal is selected from the group consisting of cobalt (Co), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), titanium (Ti), chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), zirconium (Zr), and tantalum (Ta).   
     
     
         12 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A fuel cell, comprising:
 a solid electrolyte; and   a pair of electrodes facing each other with the solid electrolyte interposed between the pair,   wherein at least one of the pair of electrodes a comprises the carbon catalyst described in  claim 1 .   
     
     
         17 . An electricity storage device, comprising:
 an electrode material; and   an electrolyte,   wherein the electrode material comprises the carbon catalyst described in  claim 1 .   
     
     
         18 . A method of accelerating a chemical reaction, the method comprising conducting the chemical reaction in the presence of the carbon catalyst described in  claim 1 , thereby accelerating the chemical reaction. 
     
     
         19 . The carbon catalyst according to  claim 2 , wherein a content of nitrogen atoms on a surface of the catalyst is within a range of 0.01 to 0.3 by atomic ratio, with respect to carbon atoms on the surface. 
     
     
         20 . The carbon catalyst according to  claim 2 , wherein the value of the energy peak ratio is within a range of 0.8 to 1.2. 
     
     
         21 . The carbon catalyst according to  claim 3 , wherein the value of the energy peak ratio is within a range of 0.8 to 1.2. 
     
     
         22 . The carbon catalyst according to  claim 19 , wherein the value of the energy peak ratio is within a range of 0.8 to 1.2.