An energy conversion device for conversion of various energy forms into electricity. The energy forms may be chemical, photovoltaic or thermal gradients. The energy conversion device has a first and second electrode. A substrate is present that has a porous semiconductor or dielectric layer placed thereover. The substrate itself can be planar, two-dimensional, or three-dimensional, and possess internal and external surfaces. These substrates may be rigid, flexible and/or foldable. The porous semiconductor or dielectric layer can be a nano-engineered structure. A porous conductor material is placed on at least a portion of the porous semiconductor or dielectric layer such that at least some of the porous conductor material enters the nano-engineered structure of the porous semiconductor or dielectric layer, thereby forming an intertwining region.

An energy conversion device for conversion of various energy forms into electricity. The energy forms may be chemical, photovoltaic or thermal gradients. The energy conversion device has a first and second electrode. A substrate is present that has a porous semiconductor or dielectric layer placed thereover. The substrate itself can be planar, two-dimensional, or three-dimensional, and possess internal and external surfaces. These substrates may be rigid, flexible and/or foldable. The porous semiconductor or dielectric layer can be a nano-engineered structure. A porous conductor material is placed on at least a portion of the porous semiconductor or dielectric layer such that at least some of the porous conductor material enters the nano-engineered structure of the porous semiconductor or dielectric layer, thereby forming an intertwining region.

An energy storage device includes a nano-structured cathode. The cathode includes a conductive substrate, an underframe and an active layer. The underframe includes structures such as nano-filaments and/or aerogel. The active layer optionally includes a catalyst disposed within the active layer, the catalyst being configured to catalyze the dissociation of cathode active material.

Embodiments of the invention relate to a membrane-electrode assembly comprising a membrane structure with an anode layer, a cathode layer, and a membrane layer, wherein the membrane layer is positioned between the anode layer and the cathode layer. The membrane-electrode assembly furthermore comprises an anode-side gas-diffusion layer arranged on the anode layer and a cathode-side gas-diffusion layer arranged on the cathode layer. Furthermore, at least one of the anode-side gas-diffusion and the cathode-side gas-diffusion layers has a structure on the side facing away from the membrane structure. According to some embodiments, the structure comprises a plurality of columns for forming a laterally-open flow field, wherein the columns have support surfaces for supporting a bipolar plate.

The present disclosure generally relates to a fuel cell electrode having a patterned microporous layer and method of fabricating the same.

Herein discussed is a method of making a copper-containing electrode comprising: (a) forming a copper solution; (b) forming a ceramic substrate; (c) infiltrating the ceramic substrate with the copper solution; and (d) calcining the infiltrated substrate using electromagnetic radiation, wherein the substrate is no thicker than 50 microns. In an embodiment, the method comprises repeating (c) and (d) until copper percolates the ceramic substrate.

Methods are provided for tailoring multi-step chemical reactions having competing elementary steps using a strained catalyst. In various aspects, a layered piezo-catalytic system is provided, and may include a metal catalyst overlayer disposed on a piezo-electric substrate. The methods include applying a voltage bias to the piezo-electric substrate of the piezo-catalytic system resulting in a strained catalyst having an altered catalytic activity as a result of one or both of a compressive stress and tensile stress. The methods include exposing reagents for at least one step of the multi-step chemical reaction to the strained catalyst, and catalyzing the at least one step of the multi-step chemical reaction. In various aspects, the methods may include using an oscillating voltage bias applied to the piezo-electric substrate.

There is disclosed a method of making an electrode for an electrochemical reactor including the steps of providing a template and depositing electrode material such that the electrode material is in contact with the template. This template is provided in a form that produces channels in the electrode material. There is also disclosed an electrode for an electrochemical reactor which includes electrode material and a template, with the template occupying channels in the electrode material.

Solid-state energy harvesters comprising layers of metal suboxides and cerium dioxide utilizing a solid-state electrolyte to produce power and methods of making and using the same are provided. The solid-state energy harvester may have two or three electrodes per cell and produces power in the presence of water vapor and oxygen.

The present invention relates to a flow battery system. The system comprises a first and second electrode comprising a lattice structure and at least one electrolyte supply configured to provide flow electrolyte through at least one of the first and second electrodes. A power circuit is operatively connected to the first and second electrodes to provide electrical power from the system.