Electroless process for depositing refractory metals

Patent Number: 10,263,241
Issued: 4/16/2019
Official Filing: View the Complete Patent
Abstract: The invention provides an inexpensive, scalable process for coating materials with a film of a refractory metal. As an example, the immersion process can comprise the deposition of a sacrificial zinc coating which is galvanically displaced by the ether-mediated reduction of oxophilic WCl.sub.6 to form a complex WO.sub.xCl.sub.y film, and subsequently annealed to crystalline, metallic tungsten. The efficacy of this process was demonstrated on a carbon foam electrode, showing a 50% decrease in electrode resistance and significant gains in electrochemical performance. This process enables voltage efficiency gains for electrodes in batteries, redox flow batteries, and industrial processes where high conductivity and chemical stability are paramount.
Filed: 12/9/2016
Application Number: 15/374,775
Government Interests: STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention.