The present invention provides an air battery using oxygen in air as a cathode active material, the air battery comprising: a cylindrical anode made of a metal; a cathode constituted by a co-continuous body having a three dimensional network structure formed by an integrated plurality of nanostructures having branches; and a separator that is arranged between the cathode and the anode and absorbs an electrolytic solution, wherein: the cathode is arranged inside the anode via the separator; and the anode has an open hole that reaches the separator and constitutes a housing of the air battery.

The present disclosure provides a liquid detection sensor which has the general purpose usability and can prevent the deterioration of a metal-air battery being an electric power source even when being installed for a long term, and in which the metal-air battery being an electric power source can exhibit an excellent electric power generation performance. The liquid detection sensor has the metal-air battery having a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolytic solution-forming component positioned between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, wherein the electrolytic solution-forming component is enclosed in the inside of a resin-made bag; and a resin of the resin-made bag has dissolvability or dispersibility in a liquid being an object to be detected.

The present disclosure provides a liquid detection sensor which has the general purpose usability and can prevent the deterioration of a metal-air battery being an electric power source even when being installed for a long term, and in which the metal-air battery being an electric power source can exhibit an excellent electric power generation performance. The liquid detection sensor has the metal-air battery having a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolytic solution-forming component positioned between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, wherein the electrolytic solution-forming component is enclosed in the inside of a resin-made bag; and a resin of the resin-made bag has dissolvability or dispersibility in a liquid being an object to be detected.

A metal-air cell comprises a negative electrode, a negative electrode case housing the negative electrode, sealed while a lead of the negative electrode extends from the negative electrode case, including a separator that forms at least part of the negative electrode case, an air electrode facing the negative electrode across the separator, and a cell case housing the negative electrode case and the air electrode and sealed while the lead of the negative electrode expands from the cell case and a lead of the air electrode expands from the cell case.

A metal-air cell comprises a negative electrode, a negative electrode case housing the negative electrode, sealed while a lead of the negative electrode extends from the negative electrode case, including a separator that forms at least part of the negative electrode case, an air electrode facing the negative electrode across the separator, and a cell case housing the negative electrode case and the air electrode and sealed while the lead of the negative electrode expands from the cell case and a lead of the air electrode expands from the cell case.

A method of producing a porous carbon is provided that can change type of functional groups, amount of functional groups, or ratio of functional groups while inhibiting its pore structure from changing. A method of producing a porous carbon includes: a first step of carbonizing a material containing a carbon source and a template source, to prepare a carbonized product; and a second step of immersing the carbonized product into a template removing solution, to remove a template from the carbonized product, and the method is characterized by changing at least two or more of the following conditions: type of the material, ratio of the carbon source and the template source, size of the template, and type of the template removal solution, to thereby control type, amount, or ratio of functional groups that are present in the porous carbon.

The invention relates to electrochemical current sources, more particularly to metal-air current sources, and even more particularly to lithium-air current sources and their electrodes. A cathode comprises a base made of a porous electrically conducting material that is permeable to molecular oxygen, the working surface of which has a copolymer applied thereto, which is produced by the copolymerization of a monomeric transition metal coordination complex having a Schiff base and a thiophene group monomer. The monomeric transition metal coordination complex having a Schiff base can be, for example, a compound of the [M(R,R-Salen)], [M(R,R-Saltmen)] or [M(R,R-Salphen)] type, and the thiophene group monomer can be a compound selected from a thiophene group consisting of 3-alkylthiophenes, 3,4-dialkylthiophenes, 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene or combinations thereof. A current source comprises the described cathode and an anode made from an active metal, in particular lithium, wherein the cathode and the anode are separated by an electrolyte containing ions of the metal from which the anode is made. It has been established that in this system, the copolymer exhibits the properties of an effective catalyst. The technical result is an increase in the specific energy, specific power and number of charge and discharge cycles of a metal-air current source.

The invention relates to electrochemical current sources, more particularly to metal-air current sources, and even more particularly to lithium-air current sources and their electrodes. A cathode comprises a base made of a porous electrically conducting material that is permeable to molecular oxygen, the working surface of which has a copolymer applied thereto, which is produced by the copolymerization of a monomeric transition metal coordination complex having a Schiff base and a thiophene group monomer. The monomeric transition metal coordination complex having a Schiff base can be, for example, a compound of the [M(R,R-Salen)], [M(R,R-Saltmen)] or [M(R,R-Salphen)] type, and the thiophene group monomer can be a compound selected from a thiophene group consisting of 3-alkylthiophenes, 3,4-dialkylthiophenes, 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene or combinations thereof. A current source comprises the described cathode and an anode made from an active metal, in particular lithium, wherein the cathode and the anode are separated by an electrolyte containing ions of the metal from which the anode is made. It has been established that in this system, the copolymer exhibits the properties of an effective catalyst. The technical result is an increase in the specific energy, specific power and number of charge and discharge cycles of a metal-air current source.

Provided is an oxygen reduction catalyst having an excellent oxygen reduction catalytic activity and a selection method thereof, a liquid composition or electrode containing an oxygen reduction catalyst, and an air battery or fuel cell provided with the electrode. An oxygen reduction catalyst containing a metal complex and a conductive material and having an ionization potential value of 5.80 eV or lower and a selection method thereof, a liquid composition or electrode containing an oxygen reduction catalyst, and an air battery or fuel cell provided with electrode.

A protected anode, an electrochemical device including the same, and a method of preparing the electrochemical device. The protected anode may include: an anode layer; and a protective layer including an oxide represented by Formula 1, on the anode layer:

##STRFormula 1##

In Formula 1, A is at least one of Ge, Sb, Bi, Se, Sn, or Pb; M is at least one of In, Tl, Sb, Bi, S, Se, Te, or Po; A and M are different from each other; and 0<x<100 and 0<y<100.