Cyanophosphines other than P(CN).sub.3 react with lithium dicyanamide to produce lithiated carbon phosphonitrides with mobile Li.sup.+ ions.

The present invention relates to an electrode catalyst for a fuel cell that includes a carbon support (11) having pores (13) and catalyst particles containing platinum or a platinum alloy supported on the carbon support (11). The pores (13) of the carbon support (11) have a mode size of pores (13) in a range of 2.1 nm to 5.1 nm. A total pore volume of the pores (13) of the carbon support (11) is in a range of 21 cm.sup.3/g to 35 cm.sup.3/g. A distance between the catalyst particles and a surface of the carbon support (11) is in a range of 2.0 nm to 12 nm as a distance of a 50% cumulative frequency.

A fuel cell electrode catalyst includes: a noble-metal-supported catalyst including a carbon support and a noble metal supported on the carbon support; and a water-repellent material with which the noble-metal-supported catalyst is modified. The carbon support is mesoporous carbon in which a pore volume of pores having a pore size of 2 nm to 5 nm is 2.1 ml/g to 2.4 ml/g. An amount of the water-repellent material is 3% by weight to 7% by weight with respect to a total weight of the mesoporous carbon and the water-repellent material.

The present invention relates to apparatus, compositions and methods of fabricating high performance thin-film batteries on metallic substrates, polymeric substrates, or doped or undoped silicon substrates by fabricating an appropriate barrier layer composed, for example, of barrier sublayers between the substrate and the battery part of the present invention thereby separating these two parts chemically during the entire battery fabrication process as well as during any operation and storage of the electrochemical apparatus during its entire lifetime. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention thin-film batteries fabricated onto a thin, flexible stainless steel foil substrate using an appropriate barrier layer that is composed of barrier sublayers have uncompromised electrochemical performance compared to thin-film batteries fabricated onto ceramic substrates when using a 700° C. post-deposition anneal process for a LiCoO.sub.2 positive cathode.

Provided is an oxygen reduction catalyst having a high oxygen reduction performance. An oxygen reduction catalyst according to the present embodiment includes a transition metal oxide to which an oxygen defect is introduced, and a layer that is provided on the transition metal oxide and that contains an electron conductive substance. A method for producing an oxygen reduction catalyst according to the present embodiment includes heating a transition metal carbonitride as a starting material in an oxygen-containing mixed gas. In addition, a method for producing an oxygen reduction catalyst according to the present embodiment includes heating a transition-metal phthalocyanine and a carbon fiber powder as starting materials in an oxygen-containing mixed gas.

An integrated cell separator/high voltage bus bar carrier assembly for a high voltage traction battery includes a cell separator having a plurality of cell separator walls and a plurality of bus bar retention walls carried by the plurality of cell separator walls. A high voltage bus bar is carried by the plurality of bus bar retention walls of the cell separator.

A battery pack may include a housing; at least one battery cell supported in the housing; a phase change material; and a bladder containing the phase change material, the bladder defining a channel having an opening, the bladder being in a heat transfer relationship with the at least one battery cell. The phase change material in the bladder may also surround a portion of the channel. The phase change material may include a paraffin wax.

Provided are a positive electrode active material with which a secondary battery having high charging and discharging capacities and an excellent cycle characteristic can be obtained, and a method for producing the same. A positive electrode active material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a lithium-metal composite oxide represented by a general formula: Li.sub.aNi.sub.xCo.sub.yMn.sub.zM.sub.tO.sub.2+α and containing a secondary particle formed of a plurality of flocculated primary particles. A void ratio obtained from an image analysis result of a cross section of the secondary particle, the image thereof being obtained by a scanning electron microscope, is at least 5% and up to 50% in a first area that is from a central part of the secondary particle to one half of a radius of the secondary particle, and is up to 1.5% in a second area that is outside the first area.

A method for producing amorphous carbon particles comprising includes adding and mixing graphite particles into a precursor of amorphous carbon and then cross-linking the precursor of amorphous carbon to obtain a first cross-linked product, or cross-linking a precursor of amorphous carbon and then adding and mixing graphite particles into the cross-linked precursor of amorphous carbon to obtain a second cross-linked product. Infusibility is imparted to the first or second cross-linked product to obtain an infusibilized product to which infusibility has been imparted. The infusibilized product is baked to obtain amorphous carbon particles. The amorphous carbon particles include the graphite particles and amorphous carbon which embeds the graphite particles.

An aqueous liquid composition contains a water-based medium containing water, chitosan and/or a chitosan derivative, and a polymeric acid, and has a pH of not higher than 4.5. The aqueous liquid composition contains low-cost materials having low environmental load, can retain adequate viscosity even when stored over a long term, and can form a functional coating film having excellent adhesiveness to a base material and superb durability, solvent resistance and waterproofness and capable of exhibiting various functions led by electrical conductivity and hydrophilicity.