An electrode material includes: (1) a catalyst support; and (2) PtNiN-M nanostructures affixed to the catalyst support, wherein N is a transition metal selected from Group 9 and Group 11 of the Periodic Table, and M is a transition metal selected from Group 5 and Group 6 of the Periodic Table.

A manufacturing method of a proton battery and a proton battery module are provided. The manufacturing method of the proton battery includes the steps of providing a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a polymer exchange membrane, and assembling the positive electrode, the negative electrode, and the polymer exchange membrane, in which the polymer exchange membrane is interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The step of providing the negative electrode at least includes forming a carbon layer on a substrate, and performing a polarization process on the carbon layer.

In an example, a process includes applying a platinum catalyst ink solution to a polymeric substrate to form a platinum-coated polymeric material having a first catalytic surface area. The process further includes utilizing a laser to process a portion of the platinum-coated polymeric material to form a patterned platinum-coated proton exchange membrane (PEM) material. The patterned platinum-coated PEM material has a second catalytic surface area that is greater than the first catalytic surface area.

An object of the present invention is to improve the performance of a metal-air battery. The metal-air battery includes an air electrode, an anode, and an electrolyte sandwiched between the air electrode and the anode. The air electrode includes a co-continuous body having a three dimensional network structure formed by an integrated plurality of nanostructures having branches. A magnesium alloy is used for the anode, and a weak acidic salt containing no chloride ion or a salt considered to have a buffering capacity is used for the electrolyte. Consequently, the present invention can efficiently utilize electrons and suppress passivation and self corrosion of the anode, thereby improving the performance of the metal-air battery.

The present invention provides a process for preparing a catalyst precursor, said process comprising the steps of (i) providing Pt.sub.aX.sub.b alloy particles on a support material and (ii) applying a shell of X to the Pt.sub.aX.sub.b alloy particles to provide a catalyst precursor comprising particles having a Pt.sub.aX.sub.b core and an X shell. The ratio of a to b is in the range of and including 10:1 to 1:2.5 and X is Co, Ni, Y, Gd, Sc or Cu. Also provided is a process for preparing a catalyst material.

An embodiment apparatus for fabricating a membrane-electrode-subgasket assembly includes a feeding unit including a sheet feeding roller configured to feed a membrane-electrode assembly sheet having catalyst layers provided on both surfaces thereof, a cutting unit including a cutting roller and a support roller configured to rotate in engagement with the cutting roller, wherein the cutting roller is configured to punch portions outside each of the catalyst layers, a first pressing unit including a suction roller and a first hot roller, and a second pressing unit including second hot rollers.

A battery includes an electrode group including an air electrode and a negative electrode stacked with a separator therebetween, and an accommodating bag accommodating the electrode group along with an alkali electrolyte solution. The air electrode includes a catalyst for an air secondary battery. This catalyst for an air secondary battery is produced by a method for producing a catalyst for an air secondary battery, the method including a precursor preparation step of preparing a bismuth-ruthenium oxide precursor, a calcination step of calcining the bismuth-ruthenium oxide precursor obtained in this precursor preparation step to form a bismuth-ruthenium oxide, and a nitric acid treatment step of immersing the bismuth-ruthenium oxide obtained by this calcination step in a nitric acid aqueous solution.

An object of the present invention is to provide, in the manufacture of a membrane-catalyst assembly including a polymer electrolyte membrane and a catalyst layer bonded to the polymer electrolyte membrane, a method that achieves both the relaxation of thermocompression bonding conditions and the improvement of adhesion between the catalyst layer and the electrolyte membrane with high productivity. A main object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a membrane-catalyst assembly including an electrolyte membrane and a catalyst layer bonded to the electrolyte membrane, the method including a liquid application step of applying a liquid to a surface of the catalyst layer before bonding, and a thermocompression bonding step of bonding, to the electrolyte membrane, the catalyst layer to which the liquid is applied by thermocompression bonding.

A process for the preparation of a catalytic material of an electrode for electrochemical reduction reactions, said material comprising an active phase based on at least one metal from group VIb and an electroconductive support, which process is carried out according to at least the following stages:

a stage of bringing said support into contact with at least one solution containing at least one precursor of at least one metal from group VIb;

a drying stage at a temperature of less than 250° C., without a subsequent calcination stage;

a stage of sulfurization at a temperature of between 100° C. and 600° C.

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.