The present disclosure provides a fibrous rutile-type oxide that contains an oxygen atom, a nitrogen atom, and a transition metal atom. The transition metal atom is at least one atom selected from the group consisting of a titanium atom, a tantalum atom, a niobium atom, and a zirconium atom. The rutile-type oxide is represented by the chemical formula MO.sub.xN.sub.y, where M represents the transition metal atom. In the chemical formula, x satisfies x = 2 - (y +j) (j ≥ 0).

The present invention relates to a power supply system for underwater vehicles, in particular to a power supply system for autonomous underwater vehicles, to underwater vehicles equipped with such power supply systems and to a method of operating an underwater vehicle. The power supply system for underwater vehicles comprises a hydrogen fuel cell, which on the one hand is in fluid contact with a metal hydride storage tank, and on the other hand, with a membrane module that is capable of extracting dissolved oxygen from water. By combining the above mentioned components, the energy necessary to support the AUV operation and the operation of its sensors can be provided, replacing in an efficient and sustainable way the currently employed battery energy systems. For the operation of gliders, a weight compensating mechanism could also be implemented.

A device for performing electrolysis of water is disclosed. The device may include a semiconductor structure with a surface and an electron guiding layer below said surface, the electron guiding layer of the semiconductor structure being configured to guide electron movement in a plane parallel to the surface. The electron guiding layer of the semiconductor structure may include an InGaN quantum well or a heterojunction, the heterojunction being a junction between AlN material and GaN material or between AlGaN material and GaN material and at least one metal cathode arranged on the surface of the semiconductor structure. The device may further include at least one photoanode arranged on the surface of the semiconductor structure, wherein the at least one photoanode may include a plurality of quantum dots of In.sub.xGa.sub.(1-x)N material, wherein 0.4≤x≤1. A system including such a device is also disclosed.

A method for increasing safety in the surroundings of an electric vehicle having a fuel cell system and batteries, wherein the vehicle is configured for charging the batteries by power from the fuel cell system and e.g. produces CO2 during this operation, even when the vehicle is turned-off and in a parked situation, wherein the method includes the steps of providing a sensor system having a gas intake and configured for warning against elevated CO2 levels in the surroundings of the vehicle, mounting the sensor system on the vehicle with the gas intake outside the vehicle's cabin, providing an alarm when the sensor system evaluates that the CO2 levels in the surroundings of the vehicle are elevated and surpass a predetermined threshold level.

A catalyst layer including: a catalyst-supported carbon including a catalyst including platinum supported on a carbon carrier; and an ionomer, in which the catalyst-supported carbon has a mesopore having a pore diameter of from 2 nm to less than 10 nm in a pore distribution obtained by a nitrogen adsorption method, at least a part of the ionomer exists in the mesopore having a pore diameter of from 2 nm to less than 10 nm, a content of the ionomer with respect to 100 parts by mass of the carbon carrier is 100 parts by mass or more, and an occupancy rate of the ionomer in a total volume of the mesopore having a pore diameter of from 2 nm to less than 10 nm is 50% by volume or less.

A catalyst layer including: a catalyst-supported carbon including a catalyst including platinum supported on a carbon carrier; and an ionomer, in which the catalyst-supported carbon has a mesopore having a pore diameter of from 2 nm to less than 10 nm in a pore distribution obtained by a nitrogen adsorption method, at least a part of the ionomer exists in the mesopore having a pore diameter of from 2 nm to less than 10 nm, a content of the ionomer with respect to 100 parts by mass of the carbon carrier is 100 parts by mass or more, and an occupancy rate of the ionomer in a total volume of the mesopore having a pore diameter of from 2 nm to less than 10 nm is 50% by volume or less.

To provide a proton conductive material which has high proton conductivity even under no humidification and does not elute into water. A proton conductive material comprising a proton-source-polymer and a proton-channel-polymer, wherein at least one selected from the group consisting of the proton-source-polymer and the proton-channel-polymer is a polymer containing an aromatic ring, and wherein at least a part of the polymer containing the aromatic ring has a stacked structure formed by n-n interactions, and a proton conductive material comprising a proton-source-crosslinked-polymer, wherein the proton-source-crosslinked-polymer is a polymer having a main skeleton which contains a proton source group and an aromatic ring, and a crosslinked structure which contains a proton channel, and wherein at least a part of the proton-source-crosslinked-polymer has a stacked structure formed by n-n interactions.

An indicator is provided in a vehicle for indicating necessity of change of a fuel vapor absorber in a venting line of a vehicle tank, especially a methanol tank for fuel cell vehicles.

A roll conveying unit of a joined body manufacturing apparatus includes a rotating unit and a suction unit. The outer peripheral surface of the rotating unit includes a contact suction portion that makes contact with a first back surface. The rotating unit rotates while bringing the contact suction portion into contact with the first back surface. The suction unit suctions the second layer from the contact suction portion through pores of the first layer, to thereby form a suctioned portion attracted to the contact suction portion under suction, in a laminated body of the first layer and the second layer. The peeling unit peels the coating film from the second back surface of the suctioned portion of the film-attached joined body.

Disclosed herein are gas diffusion layers (GDLs) for electrochemical devices which have increased surface area for hosting catalysts or contacting a catalyst layer. GDLs with engineered surface roughness increase the effective diffusivities of gas phase reactants in electrochemical devices (e.g., PEMFCs). Also disclosed herein are gas diffusion electrodes, membrane electrode assemblies, and fuel cells comprising GDLs with increased surface area. Also disclosed herein are methods of manufacturing GDLs with increased surface area, as well as gas diffusion electrodes and membrane electrode assemblies comprising GDLs with increased surface area.