A method is provided that modifies a catalyst layer of a membrane catalyst layer assembly, which is manufactured by transferring the catalyst layer formed on a transfer sheet onto an electrolyte membrane. In the catalyst layer correction method, presence or absence of a defect in the catalyst layer is detected. The defect is removed based on the size and position of the detected defect. The portion from which the defect has been removed is repaired by application thereto of a correcting ink corresponding to the catalyst layer.

According to the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a catalyst-coated ion-conducting membrane, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a catalyst layer on a backing layer, wherein the catalyst layer comprises pores; (b) applying a wetting solution to the catalyst layer, wherein the wetting solution impregnates at least some of the pores of the catalyst layer so as to form a wetted catalyst surface; (c) depositing a first dispersion onto the wetted catalyst surface to form a first dispersion layer on the wetted catalyst surface, wherein the first dispersion comprises an ion-conducting polymer; and (d) drying the first dispersion layer and the wetted catalyst surface after step (c).

The present invention provides a fuel cell electrode, which has increased physical and chemical durability, and a method for manufacturing a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) using the same. According to the present invention, the fuel cell electrode is manufactured by controlling the amount of platinum supported on a first carbon support used in an anode to be smaller than that used in a cathode to increase the mechanical strength of a catalyst layer and maintain the thickness of the catalyst layer after prolonged operation and by adding carbon nanofibers containing a radical scavenger to a catalyst slurry to decrease deterioration of chemical durability.

A fuel cell device is prepared by dispensing and drying electrode and ceramic pastes around two pluralities of removable physical structures to form electrode layers having constant width and a shape that conforms lengthwise to a curvature of the physical structures. An electrolyte ceramic layer is positioned between electrode layers, forming an active cell portion where anode is in opposing relation to cathode with electrolyte therebetween, and passive cell portions where ceramic is adjacent the active cell portion. The layers are laminated, the physical structures pulled out, and the lamination sintered to form an active cell with active passages in anodes and cathodes and passive support structure with passive passages in ceramic. End portions of at least one of the two pluralities of physical structures are curved away from the same end portion of the other of the two pluralities resulting in a split end in the fuel cell device.

An active cell is prepared by dispensing first electrode sub-layers, pressing in physical structures to partially embed them in an uppermost sub-layer, and dispensing more first electrode sub-layers wherein dispensing is in order of increasing porosity, then drying the sub-layers to form a first electrode layer. An electrolyte layer is then formed thereon. Further preparation includes dispensing second electrode sub-layers over the electrolyte layer, pressing in physical structures to partially embed them in an uppermost sub-layer, and dispensing more second electrode sub-layers wherein dispensing is in order of decreasing porosity, then drying the sub-layers to form a second electrode layer. A laminated stack is formed, then the physical structures are pulled out. Sintering then forms the active cell with active passages embedded in and supported by the sintered electrode layers, and with decreasing porosity in the electrode layers in a thickness direction away from the electrolyte layer.

There is provided a technique that suppresses a variation in particle diameter of a metal catalyst in the process of supporting the metal catalyst on a carrier. A CNT substrate having carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as the carrier arrayed thereon is placed in a processing chamber. Carbon dioxide is supplied to the processing chamber. After the carbon dioxide in the processing chamber is made supercritical, a complex solution in which a platinum complex is dissolved is supplied to the processing chamber. A sample temperature denoting temperature of the CNTs is controlled to be higher than an ambient temperature in the processing chamber. The CNT substrate is heated, such that a temperature difference between the ambient temperature and the sample temperature repeats increasing and decreasing. After the state of the supercritical fluid is changed to a non-supercritical state, the CNT substrate is heated, so as to cause the metal catalyst to deposit on the surface of the CNTs.

An active cell is prepared by dispensing first electrode sub-layers, pressing in physical structures to partially embed them in an uppermost sub-layer, and dispensing more first electrode sub-layers wherein dispensing is in order of increasing porosity, then drying the sub-layers to form a first electrode layer. An electrolyte layer is then formed thereon. Further preparation includes dispensing second electrode sub-layers over the electrolyte layer, pressing in physical structures to partially embed them in an uppermost sub-layer, and dispensing more second electrode sub-layers wherein dispensing is in order of decreasing porosity, then drying the sub-layers to form a second electrode layer. A laminated stack is formed, then the physical structures are pulled out. Sintering then forms the active cell with active passages embedded in and supported by the sintered electrode layers, and with decreasing porosity in the electrode layers in a thickness direction away from the electrolyte layer.

A catalyst-layer-supporting substrate comprising a substrate supporting a catalyst layer; wherein the catalyst layer comprises two or more porous catalyst metal particle layers that are superposed alternately with (i) two or more intersticed layers comprising at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, Sn, Al, and Cu; or (ii) two or more fibrous carbon layers having interstices among fibers of the fibrous carbon. A method for forming a catalyst-layer-supporting structure that comprises porous catalyst metal particle by removing a pore-forming metal from a mixture layer containing a pore-forming metal and a catalyst metal.

A catalyst layer including: (i) a first catalytic material, wherein the first catalytic material facilitates a hydrogen oxidation reaction suitably selected from platinum group metals, gold, silver, base metals or an oxide thereof; and (ii) a second catalytic material, wherein the second catalytic material facilitates an oxygen evolution reaction, wherein the second catalytic material includes iridium or iridium oxide and one or more metals M or an oxide thereof, wherein M is selected from the group consisting of transition metals and Sn, wherein the transition metal is preferably selected from the group IVB, VB and VIB; and the first catalytic material is supported on the second catalytic material. The catalyst can be used in fuel cells, supported on electrodes or polymeric membranes for increasing tolerance to cell voltage reversal.

Disclosed is a process for the manufacture of a catalyst-coated membrane-seal assembly, including: (i) providing a carrier material; (ii-i) forming a first layer, the first layer being formed by: (a) depositing a first catalyst component onto the carrier material such that the first catalyst component is deposited in discrete regions; (b) drying the first layer; (ii-ii) forming a second layer, the second layer being formed by: (a) depositing a first seal component, such that the first seal component provides a picture frame pattern having a continuous region and void regions, the continuous region including second seal component and the void regions being free from second seal component; (b) depositing a first ionomer component onto the first layer, such that the first ionomer component is deposited in discrete regions; and (c) drying the second layer.