Disclosed herein are hybrid membranes comprising: a microporous polymer, the microporous polymer comprising a continuous polymer phase permeated by a continuous pore phase; and an atomic scale inorganic material dispersed throughout the microporous polymer within the continuous pore phase. Methods of making and use of the hybrid membranes are also disclosed.

A method for producing a catalyst supporting a metal or an alloy on a support, including: independently controlling a temperature of a first supercritical fluid to be first temperature, the first supercritical fluid containing a precursor of the metal or precursor of the alloy that is dissolved in a supercritical fluid; independently controlling a temperature of the support to be a second temperature higher than the temperature of the first supercritical fluid; and supplying the first supercritical fluid controlled to the first temperature to the support, to cause the metal or the alloy to be supported on the support.

A method of making a nanostructured palladium thin film electrode is described. The method involves contacting a substrate with an aerosol comprising a solvent and a Pd(II) compound. The substrate is heated, and no hydrogen gas or an additional reducing agent is required to reduce the Pd(II) to form the deposited thin film. The nanostructured palladium thin film electrode is capable of detecting compounds such as hydrazine in an aqueous sample with a 10 nM limit of detection.

A method of making a nanostructured palladium thin film electrode is described. The method involves contacting a substrate with an aerosol comprising a solvent and a Pd(II) compound. The substrate is heated, and no hydrogen gas or an additional reducing agent is required to reduce the Pd(II) to form the deposited thin film. The nanostructured palladium thin film electrode is capable of detecting compounds such as hydrazine in an aqueous sample with a 10 nM limit of detection.

Method of making interconnected layered porous carbon sheets with porosity within the carbon sheets and in-between the carbon sheets for use as an electrode. Method of making a metal-nanoparticle carbon composite, wherein metal particles are surrounded by shells made of amorphous carbon. Electrodes containing an amorphous carbon structure comprising a plurality of interconnected layered porous carbon sheets. Electrodes containing graphitic carbon structure with a surface area in the range of 5-200 m.sup.2/g. Electrodes containing a metal-nanoparticle carbon composite comprising metal core-carbon shell like architecture and an amorphous structure, wherein metal particles are surrounded by shells made of amorphous carbon.

A fuel cell electrode includes a carbon nanofiber substrate and a continuous film of up to 100 atom-thick monolayers forming a network of interconnected electrocatalyst nanoparticles deposited on the carbon nanofiber substrate such that at least some of the nanoparticles are directly adhered to uppermost nanofibers of the substrate to form a layer resistant to electrocatalyst depletion.

An illustrative example porous fuel cell component includes a plurality of fibers, a plurality of first pores defined by spaces between the fibers, and a plurality of second pores defined by an interior space in at least some of the fibers. Another illustrative example porous fuel cell component includes a plurality of first fibers and a plurality of second fibers that are different than the first fibers. The second fibers are hollow.

A process of producing a porous electrode substrate, including: dispersing first short carbon fibers and producing a first precursor sheet not having a three-dimensional entangled structure of the first short carbon fibers; treating the first precursor sheet such that the first short carbon fibers in the first precursor sheet are entangled and that a second precursor sheet having a three-dimensional entangled structure of the first short carbon fibers is obtained; dispersing second short carbon fibers on the second precursor sheet such that a porous electrode precursor sheet including the second precursor sheet and a third precursor sheet not having a three-dimensional entangled structure of the second short carbon fibers and stacked on the second precursor sheet is obtained; and carbonization treating the porous electrode substrate precursor sheet at a temperature of at least 1000° C. to obtain the porous electrode substrate.

Provided is a catalyst for fuel cell which has a high catalytic activity and enables maintaining the high catalytic activity. Disclosed is an electrode catalyst for fuel cell comprising a catalyst carrier containing carbon as a main component and a catalytic metal supported on the catalyst carrier, wherein the catalyst has the R′ (D′/G intensity ratio) of 0.6 or less, which is the ratio of D′ band peak intensity (D′ intensity) measured in the vicinity of 1620 cm.sup.−1 relative to G band peak intensity (G intensity) measured in the vicinity of 1580 cm.sup.−1 by Raman spectroscopy, and the volume ratio of a water vapor adsorption amount relative to a nitrogen adsorption amount at a relative pressure of 0.5 in adsorption isotherm is 0.15 or more and 0.30 or less.

A protein template is added to a solution in which metal ions of iron and copper are dissolved to introduce the metal ions into the protein template; the protein template is separated from metal ions that have not been incorporated in the protein template; the metal ions that have been incorporated in the protein template are reduced to obtain a protein containing alloy nanoparticles of iron and copper; a sol or gel in which a co-continuous body is dispersed is frozen; the frozen sol or gel is dried in a vacuum to obtain a porous body; the porous body is allowed to support the alloy nanoparticle containing protein; and the protein is removed.