A method for preparing a support for an electrode catalyst including forming first and second polymer layers having charges different from each other on a surface of a carbon support and carbonizing the result, wherein the polymers included in the first and the second polymer layers are an aromatic compound including a heteroatom, and the first or the second polymer includes a pyridine group.

A support powder can improve cell performance under high humidity environment. A support and metal catalyst, including: a support powder; and metal fine particles supported on the support powder; wherein: the support powder is an aggregate of support fine particles; the support fine particles are fine particles of oxide compound and has a chained portion structured by a plurality of crystallites being fusion bonded to form a chain; the crystallites have a size of 10 to 30 nm; the support powder has a void; the void includes a secondary pore having a pore diameter of more than 25 nm and 80 nm or less determined by BJH method; and a volume of the secondary pore per unit volume of the support fine particles structuring the support powder is 0.313 cm.sup.3/cm.sup.3 or more, is provided.

A CoVO.sub.x composite electrode and method of making is described. The composite electrode comprises a substrate with an average 0.5-5 μm thick layer of CoVO.sub.x having pores with average diameters of 2-200 nm. The method of making the composite electrode involves contacting the substrate with an aerosol comprising a solvent, a cobalt complex, and a vanadium complex. The CoVO.sub.x composite electrode is capable of being used in an electrochemical cell for water oxidation.

A porous body includes a framework having a three-dimensional network structure, the framework having a body including crystal grains including nickel and cobalt as constituent elements, the cobalt having a proportion in mass of 0.2 or more and 0.8 or less with respect to a total mass of the nickel and the cobalt, the crystal grains having a shorter grain diameter of 2 μm or more, as determined in a first observed image obtained by observing the body of the framework in cross section at a magnification of 200 times.

A redox flow battery system includes an anolyte; a catholyte; a first electrode structure including a first electrode, a second electrode, and a base disposed between the first and second electrodes, the base including a thermoplastic material and conductive elements disposed in the thermoplastic material, wherein at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode is thermally bonded to the base by heating the base to soften the thermoplastic material and pressing the at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode into the thermoplastic material of the base; a first half-cell in which the first electrode is in contact with the anolyte; and a second half-cell in which the second electrode is in contact with the catholyte.

The porphyrin-based catalysts for water splitting are composites of porphyrin or metalloporphyrin active ingredients, conductive carbon (e.g., graphene sheets, vapor grown carbon fiber, carbon black, etc.), and a polymer or binder that may be coated on a glassy carbon electrode. The polymer or binder may be Nafion oil or polyvinylidine difluoride. The porphyrin may be a porphyrin having a transition metal or hydrogen at its center, and may be halogenated and/or have a thiophene substituent.

The various embodiments of the present invention provide a method of fabricating carbon felt based electrodes without any binder additive. A coating of conductive polymer adhesives is applied on the current collector. The carbon felts are placed on either side of the current collector to get an assembly. The assembly comprising current collector and carbon felt is placed between the plates of hot press with predetermined conditions for curing the adhesive applied on the surface of current collector and to obtain sandwich structure of electrode. The sandwich structure of electrode is subjected under a roller and pressed depending on required thickness and porosity of the electrodes. The electrodes are cut into desired shape using electrode cutting die in tailoring process. The prepared carbon felt based electrode illustrates high flexibility and mechanical robustness when compared to carbon felt electrodes that are binder based and brittle in nature.

A membrane electrode assembly (MEA) includes an ionically-conductive proton exchange membrane. Further, the MEA includes an anode contacting a first side of the membrane. The anode includes an anode gas diffusion layer (GDL). Further, the anode includes a first anode catalyst layer containing first catalyst particles, a hydrophobic polymer bonding agent, and a first ionomer bonding agent that lacks functional chains on a molecular backbone. The anode also includes a second anode catalyst layer containing second catalyst particles and a second ionomer bonding agent that includes functional chains on a molecular backbone. The MEA also includes a cathode contacting a second side of the membrane and comprising third catalyst particles and a cathode GDL.

Disclosed are a mesoporous support for a catalyst of a fuel cell, which includes a graphite layer formed only on its surface and a method producing the same. The support may include a substrate; a graphite layer in a crystalline form and formed on a surface of a substrate, and further include a first pore having an average pore size of less than about 2 nm and a second pore having an average pore size of about 2 nm to 50 nm.

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.