Fuel cell catalyst layers and methods of making the same are disclosed. The fuel cell catalyst layer may include a catalyst substrate including a non-woven mat of carbon nanofibers, each having a surface portion and a bulk portion bounded by the surface portion. A plurality of catalyst particles may be included in the catalyst layer, at least a first portion of which are fully embedded within the bulk portion of each of the carbon nanofibers. The method may include spinning a composition including a base polymer, a solvent, and a catalyst precursor into a non-woven fiber mat having the catalyst precursor embedded therein. The mat may then be carbonized to form a carbon fiber substrate and the catalyst precursor may be reacted to form catalyst particles embedded in the substrate. Embedding the catalyst particles may anchor them within the substrate and inhibit them from migrating during fuel cell operation.

A catalyst composition and a use thereof are provided. The catalyst composition includes a support and at least one Ru.sub.XM.sub.Y alloy attached to the surface of the support, wherein M is a transition metal and XY. The catalyst composition is used in an alkaline electrochemical energy conversion reaction, and can improve the energy conversion efficiency for an electrochemical energy conversion device and significantly reduce material costs.

A known method for producing porous graphitized carbon material covered with metal nanoparticles involves infiltrating a porous template framework of inorganic material with a carbon precursor. After thermal treatment of the precursor, the template is removed and the particulate porous carbon material is covered with a catalytically active substance. According to the invention, in order to keep the proportion of the noble metal loading at a low level, the thermal treatment of the precursor first involves carbonization, and the material is not graphitized into graphitized, particulate, porous carbon material until the template has been removed. The graphitized carbon material has a hierarchical pore structure with a pore volume of at least 0.5 cm.sup.3/g and at least 75% of the pore volume is apportioned to macropores with, size 100 to 5000 nm. Before covering with catalytically active substance, the carbon material is subjected to an activation treatment in an oxidizing atmosphere.

Provided is a redox catalyst wherein a catalytically active component is supported on carbon nanotubes whose average diameter (Av) and standard deviation () of diameters satisfy the condition 0.60>3/Av>0.20, and at least a part of a surface of the carbon nanotubes, including a part on which the catalytically active component is supported, is covered with porous inorganic material.

Novel nano-sized materials and methods for making the same are described. The novel nano-sized materials are suitable for use as catalytic supports and, more specifically, can be decorated with one or more catalytic materials so as to form suitable catalysts for DLFC fuel cells utilizing alkaline media. The present disclosure also provides a small, portable, power supply system that incorporates catalysts utilizing the decorated nano-sized materials described herein.

A method for manufacturing an alloy catalyst for a fuel cell is disclosed. The method for manufacturing an alloy catalyst for a fuel cell may include predetermined processes and reaction conditions, such that iridium is alloyed to platinum contained in a cathode carbon support catalyst. Accordingly, time for stabilizing charge on the carbon surface may be reduced and a metal particle size may be controlled, thereby manufacturing high quality products having uniform metal particle distribution and improved durability. In addition, corrosion of a cathode carbon support catalyst in a harsh condition such as vehicle driving may be prevented.

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) includes a solid oxide electrolyte, an anode disposed on a first side of the electrolyte and a cathode disposed on an opposing second side of the electrolyte. The anode includes a ceramic phase and a metallic phase including a Ni catalyst and a dopant including Al, Ba, Ca, Cr, Fe, Mo, Re, Rh, Ru, Sr, W, or any combination thereof.

The present invention is to provide a method for producing a fuel cell catalyst that is configured to be able to increase the power generation performance of a membrane-electrode assembly. Disclosed is a method for producing a fuel cell catalyst, wherein the method comprises: a mixing step in which, by mixing a platinum-containing solution, a titanium-containing solution and an electroconductive support in a solvent, a catalyst precursor in which a platinum ion compound and a titanium ion compound are supported on the electroconductive support, is formed; a solvent removing step in which, by removing the solvent from a mixture thus obtained after the mixing step, the catalyst precursor is obtained; a firing step in which, by firing the catalyst precursor at a temperature of 500 to 900 C. in a hydrogen gas atmosphere after the solvent removing step, a fired product in which a composite containing the platinum and the titanium oxide is supported on the electroconductive support, is obtained; and a washing step in which, by washing the fired product with hydrofluoric acid after the firing step, a catalyst in which the composite containing the platinum and the titanium oxide is supported on the electroconductive support, is obtained.

A catalyst electrode including a metal layer and a catalyst layer formed on the metal layer is provided. The catalyst layer includes silver and iridium. A membrane electrode assembly and a method for manufacturing a catalyst electrode are also provided.

A method for producing an electrode catalyst for a fuel cell is provided. The electrode catalyst includes a carbon support and a catalyst supported on the carbon support. The catalyst is one of platinum and a platinum-alloy. The method includes supporting the catalyst on the carbon support; and treating the carbon support carrying the catalyst with a nitric acid and cleaning the treated carbon support, such that an amount of an acid present on the carbon support becomes in a range from 0.7 mmol to 1.31 mmol of the acid per gram of the electrode catalyst.