Copper-Magnesium Spinel for Energy Electrodes
Official patent title
Copper oxide-magnesium (CuO.MgAl2O4) spinel nanocomposite and method of synthesis thereof
Arabic title: مركب نانوي من إسبينل أكسيد النحاس-المغنيسيوم (CuO·MgAl2O4) وطريقة تصنيعه
Invention
Invention
Problem
Energy-storage and electrochemical systems need electrode materials with useful conductivity and dielectric behavior. Although magnesium aluminate spinels are well studied, fewer approaches control their electrical properties through copper-oxide incorporation in a defined nanoscale composite.
Why it matters
Frequency-dependent conductive and dielectric materials can support research on capacitors, fuel-cell electrodes, supercapacitors, insulation, and microwave or electronic components.
Approach
The nanocomposite combines monoclinic CuO at about 8–12 wt.% with MgAl2O4 spinel. A sucrose-assisted thermal route forms, carbonizes, grinds, and calcines the oxide mixture, producing a nanoscale network whose AC conductivity and dielectric response vary with applied frequency.
Who may benefit
Potential beneficiaries include electrode and capacitor developers, fuel-cell and supercapacitor researchers, functional-ceramic manufacturers, dielectric-material suppliers, and academic electrochemistry laboratories.
Potential value
The disclosure specifies CuO loading, monoclinic phase, network morphology, and frequency-dependent AC and dielectric properties in a MgAl2O4 composite, and claims its incorporation into electrodes, fuel cells, or capacitors.
Background
Background
Renewable energy sources require storage and conversion components because their output can be intermittent. Supercapacitors, batteries, and fuel cells depend strongly on electrode composition and charge-transport behavior. Mixed-metal spinels are attractive because of redox activity, stability, and tunable electrical properties. Magnesium aluminate has been prepared by many routes, but targeted modification of its conductivity and dielectric response remains less developed. The patent introduces a controlled CuO fraction and a thermal synthesis intended to produce a functional nanoscale spinel composite for electrochemical uses.
Technology overview
Technology overview
Hydrated aluminum nitrate, hydrated magnesium acetate, copper nitrate, water, and a non-reducing sugar—preferably sucrose—are mixed. Heating first forms a solution at 50–100 °C, then carbonizes the sugar at 150–200 °C. The solid is ground and calcined, preferably at 600–800 °C for two to four hours. The claimed CuO·MgAl2O4 contains about 8–12 wt.% monoclinic CuO in a net-cluster morphology and exhibits frequency-dependent AC conductivity, dielectric constant, and dielectric loss at room temperature.
Potential applications
Potential applications
- Electrode-material research for capacitors and supercapacitors.
- Fuel-cell electrode development.
- Frequency-dependent dielectric and electronic components.
- Mixed-metal-oxide electrochemical material studies.
Evidence-supported advantages
Evidence-supported advantages
- Combines monoclinic CuO with magnesium aluminate spinel in a defined composition.
- Uses an accessible sugar-assisted heating, grinding, and calcination sequence.
- Provides measured frequency-dependent conductivity and dielectric behavior.
- Is directly claimed for incorporation into electrodes, fuel cells, or capacitors.
Development stage
Development stage
Powder synthesis, SEM, EDX, XRD, and frequency-dependent electrical measurements are described; complete capacitor, supercapacitor, or fuel-cell device performance and cycling were not established. The development stage was not independently verified.
Commercial opportunity
Commercial opportunity
The composition may interest functional-ceramic and electrochemical-component developers as an early electrode or dielectric material. Commercial assessment needs device-level capacitance or fuel-cell testing, cycling and thermal stability, scalable powder processing, electrode fabrication studies, safety evaluation, and benchmarking against established spinel and transition-metal-oxide materials.
Patent classifications
Patent classifications
WIPO IPC
- C01G3/02Compounds containing metals not covered by subclasses C01D or C01F
- B82Y30/00Specific uses or applications of nanostructures; measurement or analysis of nanostructures; manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
CPC
- B82Y30/00Specific uses or applications of nanostructures; measurement or analysis of nanostructures; manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
- C01G3/02Compounds containing metals not covered by subclasses C01D or C01F
- C01G3/006Compounds containing metals not covered by subclasses C01D or C01F
- C01P2006/40Indexing scheme for structural and physical aspects of solid inorganic compounds
- C01P2004/64Indexing scheme for structural and physical aspects of solid inorganic compounds
- C01P2002/70Indexing scheme for structural and physical aspects of solid inorganic compounds
- C01P2006/14Indexing scheme for structural and physical aspects of solid inorganic compounds
- Y02E60/50Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions related to energy generation, transmission or distribution
- C01P2004/03Indexing scheme for structural and physical aspects of solid inorganic compounds
Inventors
Inventors
- First inventorBabiker Yagoub Elhadi Abdulkhair
- InventorMohamed Khairy Abdel Fattah Omran
Keywords
Keywords
- copper oxide
- magnesium aluminate
- spinel
- nanocomposite
- ionic conductivity
- dielectric constant
- electrode material
- capacitor
Patent document and drawings
Patent document and drawings
The patent publication is mapped to this record. Patent drawings remain within that publication; no separately cleared public media package has been supplied.