A method of preparing an electrode for use in a biophotovoltaic device, comprising the steps of: coating a self-assembled film on a substrate using Langmuir-Blodgett technique; and immersing the coated substrate into an microalgae culture, followed by incubating thereof to grow microalgae thereon hence obtaining a biofilm, characterised in that the self-assembled film is derived from graphene.

A microbial fuel cell system includes a supply-drain compartment having a supply port and a drain port of an electrolytic solution. The microbial fuel cell system further includes one or more power generation cassettes provided in the supply-drain compartment and each including a microbial fuel cell including: a positive electrode including a first water-repellent layer in contact with a gas phase and a gas diffusion layer attached to the first water-repellent layer; and a negative electrode holding anaerobic microorganisms. The microbial fuel cell system includes one or more purifying cassettes provided in the supply-drain compartment and each including a second water-repellent layer in contact with the gas phase. The power generation cassettes are arranged on the upstream side in a direction in which the electrolytic solution flows from the supply port toward the drain port, and the purifying cassettes are arranged on the downstream side of the power generation cassettes.

To provide electrode catalyst (core-shell catalyst) having an excellent catalyst activity which contributes to lower the cost of the PEFC. The electrode catalyst has catalyst particles supported an a support. The catalyst particle has a core part containing simple Pd and a shell part containing simple Pt. A percentage R.sub.C (atom %) of the carbon of the support and a percentage R.sub.Pd (atom %) of the simple Pd in an analytical region near a surface measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) satisfy the conditions of the following equation (1): 2.15≦[100×R.sub.Pd/(R.sub.Pd+R.sub.C)].

To provide electrode catalyst (core-shell catalyst) having an excellent catalyst activity which contributes to lower the cost of the PEFC. The electrode catalyst has catalyst particles supported an a support. The catalyst particle has a core part containing simple Pd and a shell part containing simple Pt. A percentage R.sub.C (atom %) of the carbon of the support and a percentage R.sub.Pd (atom %) of the simple Pd in an analytical region near a surface measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) satisfy the conditions of the following equation (1): 2.15≦[100×R.sub.Pd/(R.sub.Pd+R.sub.C)].

A non-aqueous fuel cell catalyst includes a carbon support medium; a coating layer comprising a proton-conducting polymer including a phosphoric acid group coated on a surface of the carbon support medium; and a support member comprising platinum or a platinum alloy supported on the coating layer.

A fuel cell with high productivity, high power generation performance and high durability is described, along with a gas diffusion electrode base material having a microporous layer on one side of an electrically conductive porous base material, where the electrically conductive porous base material contains carbon fiber and resin carbide and has a density of 0.25 to 0.39 g/cm.sup.3 and a pore mode diameter in a range of 30 to 50 μm. The microporous layer contains a carbonaceous powder and a fluororesin and has a surface roughness of 2.0 to 6.0 μm, a porosity of 50 to 95%, and a pore mode diameter of 0.050 to 0.100 μm.

An electrode material (1) for a fuel cell (50), comprising a planar body (11) made of an electrically conductive foam having an open and continuous porosity for at least one operating medium of the fuel cell (50), wherein the planar body (11) has a top side (12) and a bottom side (13), and wherein the thickness (14) of the material across all points (12a, 12a′) on the surface of the top side (12), measured in each case between a point (12a, 12a′) on the surface of the top side (12) and the point (13a, 13a′) opposite this point (12a, 12a′) on the surface of the bottom side (13), varies by at least 10%. An electrode (2) for a fuel cell (50), comprising a planar body (21) made of an electrically conductive foam having an open and continuous porosity for at least one operating medium of the fuel cell (50), wherein the planar body (21) has a top side (22) and a bottom side (23), and wherein the top side (22), and/or the bottom side (23), has regions (22a, 23a) in which the porosity of the planar body (11) is reduced by at least 10%. A fuel cell (50) comprising the electrode (2). A method for production.

A unit cell of a fuel cell may include: a membrane-electrode assembly including a proton exchange membrane, an anode electrode fastened to a first face of the proton exchange membrane, a first flow guide plate positioned facing the anode electrode and including at least one flow channel having a fuel inlet zone, a median flow zone and a fuel outlet zone. The anode electrode may have, at the fuel outlet zone, a tolerance to carbon monoxide pollution greater than its average tolerance to carbon monoxide pollution at the median flow zone and at the fuel inlet zone.

A method for producing a catalyst-coated membrane includes: producing and/or providing at least one first ink with a first ink composition, comprising supported catalyst particles, a proton-conductive ionomer, and a dispersing agent, the content of the supported catalyst particles in the composition remaining below the content of the proton-conductive ionomer; unwinding a web-shaped proton-conductive membrane material which is provided on a roll; applying at least one layer of the first ink onto at least one section of the membrane material using a first application tool; and sputtering a catalyst powder consisting of or comprising catalyst particles onto a surface of the outermost ink layer facing away from the membrane material using a sputtering device.

A stable form which uses a carbon material having electrical conductivity as a raw material and that the electrical conductivity of the carbon material is retained and/or improved, and which improves the electricity generation properties when used in a catalyst layer for a fuel cell. The present invention is directed to, e.g., a calcined material of a mixture of an aromatic compound having a phenolic hydroxyl group and a carbon material having electrical conductivity.