The present invention provides an electrocatalytic material and a method for making an electrocatalytic material. There is also provided an electrocatalytic material comprising amorphous metal or mixed metal oxides. There is also provided methods of forming an electrocatalyst, comprising an amorphous metal oxide film.

A battery performance of a metal-air battery is improved while still maintaining a low environmental burden. A metal-air battery includes an air electrode formed from a co-continuous substance having a three-dimensional network structure in which a plurality of nanostructures are integrated by noncovalent bonds; an anode; and an electrolyte disposed between the air electrode and the anode, in which the electrolyte is a gel electrolyte obtained by gelling an aqueous solution containing an ion conductor with a gelling agent, and the gelling agent is constituted of at least one of a plant-derived polysaccharide, a seaweed-derived polysaccharide, a microbial polysaccharide, an animal-derived polysaccharide, and a group of acetic acid bacteria that produce the polysaccharides.

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.

The present invention relates to the electrolytic splitting of water using a carbon-supported manganese oxide (MnO.sub.x) composite. Specifically, the present electrolytic splitting of water is carried under neutral electrolyte conditions with a high electrolytic activity, while using an oxygen evolution reaction (OER)-electrode comprising the present carbon-supported MnO.sub.x composite. Next, the present invention relates to a process for producing such a carbon-supported MnO.sub.x composite as well as to a composite obtainable by the present process for producing the same and to an OER-electrode comprising the carbon-supported MnO.sub.x composite obtainable by the present process.

The present invention relates to a cathode catalyst for a lithium-air rechargeable battery, a manufacturing method thereof, and a lithium-air rechargeable battery including the same. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a manufacturing method of a cathode catalyst for a lithium-air rechargeable battery, including: forming a first solution by adding a titanium ion precursor to a solvent, followed by stirring; forming a second solution by adding an organic material to a solvent, followed by stirring; forming a nanofiber composite by mixing the first and second solutions and spinning the mixed solution; and forming a titanium oxide (TiO.sub.2) nanofiber by performing a heat treatment on the nanofiber composite

According to one embodiment, a catalyst-supporting substrate comprises a substrate and a catalyst layer including a plurality of pores, the catalyst layer being supported on the substrate. The average diameter of the section of the pore when the catalyst is cut in the thickness direction of the thickness is 5 nm to 400 nm, and the long-side to short-side ratio of the pore on the section is 1:1 to 10:1 in average.

A lithium-air or lithium-oxygen electrochemical generator comprising at least one electrochemical cell comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode and an electrolyte conducting lithium ions disposed between the negative electrode and the positive electrode wherein the negative electrode comprises, as active material, a lithium and calcium alloy.

A method for oxidizing water including fabricating a working electrode using an electrocatalyst, preparing an electrochemical cell by putting the working electrode, a counter electrode, and a reference electrode in an electrolyte, and performing an oxygen evolution reaction (OER) by applying an electrical potential between the working electrode and the counter electrode. The electrocatalyst includes a nickel-calcium-iron layered double hydroxide (NiCaFe-LDH) nanoparticle, the NiCaFe-LDH nanoparticle has a formula of [Fe.sub.x)NiCa(.sub.1-x](OH).sub.2(NO.sub.3).sub.x.nH.sub.2O, where: 0.2≤x≤0.4 and 0≤n≤2.5.

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.

A method for manufacturing a functionalized metal oxide product configured to be used in an anode catalyst layer of a fuel cell can include forming a catalyst solution, which can include mixing a metal oxide in water. A stock solution can be formed by mixing a fatty acid in water. The stock solution can be added to the catalyst solution to form a solid fraction and a liquid fraction. The solid fraction can be removed from the liquid fraction. The solid fraction can be washed and dried, thereby forming the functionalized metal oxide product. The functionalized metal oxide product is configured to improve the cell reversal tolerance of the fuel cell.