Provided is an air electrode or water electrolysis anode showing a higher catalytic activity than carbon black and not having a risk of oxidative degradation, in particular, an air electrode or water electrolysis anode for a metal-air battery or a water electrolysis apparatus. The air electrode or water electrolysis anode includes an electron-conductive material represented by LaNi.sub.1−x−yCu.sub.xFe.sub.yO.sub.3−δ (where x>0, y>0, x+y<1, and 0≦δ≦0.4).

Disclosed are an electrode for a membrane-electrode assembly, a method of manufacturing the same and a membrane-electrode assembly using the same. The electrode may include the pores and pore density around a catalyst contained in the electrode may be selectively increased using a thermally decomposable chemical blowing agent, thereby improving mass transfer through the catalyst.

The present invention is to provide a hydrogen oxidation catalyst that does not contain platinum. Disclosed is a hydrogen oxidation catalyst that is a dinuclear transition metal complex having a chemical structure represented by the following general formula (1) or (2): ##STR00001##
wherein, in the general formulae (1) and (2), M.sup.1 and M.sup.2 are each independently Fe or Ru; Ar.sup.1 and Ar.sup.2 are each independently a cyclopentadienyl group or a pentamethylcyclopentadienyl group; Ar.sup.3 and Ar.sup.4 are each independently a divalent aromatic hydrocarbon group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms; and Ar.sup.5 is a monovalent aromatic hydrocarbon group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms, and in the general formula (2), R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each independently a hydrogen atom or a monovalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms.

The present specification relates to a carrier-nanoparticle complex, a catalyst including the same, an electrochemical cell or a fuel cell including the catalyst, and a method for preparing the same.

A catalyst consisting of structurally ordered mesoporous carbon containing a transition metal and a method for preparing the same are provided. The method for preparing the catalyst includes forming a mixture of a carbon precursor and structurally ordered mesoporous silica, carbonizing the mixture to form a composite, and removing mesoporous silica from the composite.

A fuel cell system comprising an anode compartment which comprises an anode having a copper catalyst layer, a cathode configured as an air cathode and a separator interposed between said anode and said cathode, operable by an amine-derived fuel and oxygen (or air) is disclosed. Further disclosed are fuel cell systems comprising an anode compartment which comprises an anode having a copper catalyst layer, a cathode and a separator interposed between said anode and said cathode, which are operable by a mixture of two types of amine-derived compounds (e.g., ammonia borane, hydrazine and derivatives thereof). Also disclosed are methods of producing electric energy by, and electric-consuming devices containing and operable by, the disclosed fuel cell systems.

Enzyme-based biofuel cells including a bioanode, a biocathode, and an electrolyte solution are disclosed. The bioanode contains (a) a conductive substrate; (b) one or more n-type polymers; and (c) one or more enzymes. The biocathode contains (a) a conductive substrate; and (b) one or more p-type polymers. The electrolyte solution contains one or more metabolites capable of reacting with the enzymes and is in electrical communication with the bioanode and the biocathode. The bioanode is electrically connected to the biocathode. The biofuel generates power when the metabolites react with the enzymes to produce electrons; the electrons are directed through an electrical circuit to the biocathode where an oxidant is reduced to water. The structure of the n-type polymer allows for efficient electron transfer from the enzyme to the polymer, resulting improved biofuel cell performances. Methods of making and using the enzyme-based biofuel cells are also disclosed.

A fuel cell has an anode and a cathode with anode enzyme disposed on the anode and cathode enzyme is disposed on the cathode. The anode is configured and arranged to electrooxidize an anode reductant in the presence of the anode enzyme. Likewise, the cathode is configured and arranged to electroreduce a cathode oxidant in the presence of the cathode enzyme. In addition, anode redox hydrogel may be disposed on the anode to transduce a current between the anode and the anode enzyme and cathode redox hydrogel may be disposed on the cathode to transduce a current between the cathode and the cathode enzyme.

Methods and apparatus to form biocompatible energization elements are described. In some embodiments, the methods and apparatus to form the biocompatible energization elements involve forming cavities into a fuel cell. The active elements of a cathode, anode, membrane and fuel storage are sealed with a laminate stack of biocompatible material. In some embodiments, a field of use for the methods and apparatus may include any biocompatible device or product that requires energization elements.

The present invention relates to a one-step process for preparation of “in-situ” or “ex-situ” self-organized and electrically conducting polymer nanocomposites using thermally initiated polymerization of a halogenated 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene monomer or its derivatives. This approach does not require additional polymerization initiators or catalysts, produce gaseous products that are naturally removed without affecting the polymer matrix, and do not leave by-product contaminants. It is demonstrated that self-polymerization of halogenated 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene monomer is not affected by the presence of a solid-state phase in the form of nanoparticles and results in formation of 3,4-polyethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT) nanocomposites.