A method is disclosed, which includes the step of preparing an aluminum alloy body for solutionizing. The aluminum alloy body may include not greater than 0.06 wt. % Fe, where at least some Fe is present. The aluminum body may include not greater than 5.0 wt. % Mg. The balance of the aluminum alloy body may be aluminum and unavoidable impurities. The aluminum alloy body may include a first vol. % of Fe-bearing particles. The method may include solutionizing the as-prepared aluminum alloy body. The solutionizing step may include dissolving at least some of the Fe-bearing particles into solid solution, thereby decreasing the first vol. % of Fe-bearing particles to a second vol. % of Fe-bearing particles in the as-solutionized aluminum alloy body.

A method for making nanoporous nickel composite material comprises: providing a cathode plate and a copper-containing anode plate, electroplating a copper material layer a surface of the cathode plate; laying a carbon nanotube layer on the copper material layer, and forming an overlapped structure of the copper material layer and the carbon nanotube laye; the cathode plate and the overlapped structure are used as a cathode, and a nickel-containing anode plate is used as an anode, plating a nickel material layer on the overlapped structure to form sandwich structure; repeating steps S1 to S3 to obtain a carbon nanotube-reinforced copper-nickel alloy; rolling and annealing the carbon nanotube-reinforced copper-nickel alloy; and etching the carbon nanotube-reinforced copper-nickel alloy to form the nanoporous nickel composite material.

A method of producing an electrochemical fuel cell device with one or more electrodes containing one or more electrocatalysts. The method involves the steps of, first, affixing a semi-permeable membrane with inhomogeneous conduction pathways to a conducting surface of a first electrode in a predetermined configuration to form a first electrode assembly. This assembly is then immersed in an electrolyte containing at least one electrochemical precursor with for forming an active electrocatalyst on the conducting surface of the first electrode when a potential is applied to the first electrode. The same process can occur with a second electrode assembly which can be joined to the first electrode assembly before or after the electrocatalyst deposition.

The present application relates to systems and methods for forming catalysts for use in fuel cells, other energy storage/generation devices, and other applications where catalysts may be used. In embodiments, a catalyst comprising one or more metallic glass structures may be formed by disposing a porous mold in a plating bath comprising one or more dissolved metal salts. An electrodeposition process may be initiated by applying current to the plating bath, where the electrodeposition process forms the one or more metallic glass structures within pores of the porous mold. One or more sensors may be used to monitor one or more properties of the electrodeposition process during the application of the current to the plating bath, and the one or more properties of the electrode-position process may be controlled, based on the monitoring of the one or more parameters, to adjust one or more characteristics of the metallic glass structures.

A fuel cell electrode comprises a three-dimensional porous composite structure comprising a porous structure comprising a plurality of metal ligaments and a plurality of pores; and at least one carbon nanotube structure embedded in the porous structure and comprising a plurality of carbon nanotubes joined end to end by van der Waals attractive force, wherein the plurality of carbon nanotubes are arranged along a same direction.

A dual fiber mat for making an electrode includes first nanofibers and second nanofibers. The first fibers contain particles for electrochemical reaction and a binder. The second fibers contain particles for electron conduction and a binder. For a Li-ion battery anode, the first fibers include a polymer binder composed of an electron conducting polyfluorene derivative polymer (PFM or PEFM) or PVDF or PAA and silicon nanoparticles or silicon nanorods embedded in the binder. For a Li-ion battery cathode, the first fibers include a binder composed of an electron conducting polymer (PFM or PEFM) or PAA or PVDF and LiCoO2 or LiFePO4 or Li2MnO3 particles embedded in the binder. The second nanofibers include a PFM or PEFM binder or non-conductive polymer binder and electrically conductive nanoparticles embedded in the binder. The dual fiber mat has a thickness in a range of about 50-1000 m.

A method for depositing a layer of material on a metallic support for fuel cells or electrolysis cells includes the steps of preparing the surface of the metallic support, preparing an apparatus for an electrolytic bath, with the relative actuation means of the apparatus, including an aqueous solution with the cations necessary to obtain at least one material, dipping the metallic support into the electrolytic bath, and commanding the actuation means of the electrolytic bath so as to selectively carry out the electrochemical deposition of at least one layer of material on the metallic support, the layer of material includes an anti-corrosion protective ceramic material and/or a ceramic material with catalytic properties.

A method of preparing a catalyst for a fuel cell includes no carbon support. The method of preparing a catalyst for a fuel cell includes preparing a first metal nanoparticle having a polyhedral shape, growing a second metal along the edge of the first metal nanoparticle, and removing the first metal nanoparticle.

Compositions comprised of a tin film, coated by a shell of less than 50 nm thick made of palladium and tin in a molar ratio ranging from 1:4 to 3:1, respectively, are disclosed. Uses of the compositions as an electro-catalyst e.g., in a fuel cell, and particularly for the oxidation of various materials are also disclosed.

The present invention relates to stable catalyst ink formulations comprising am electrospinning polymer selected from halogen-comprising polymers. The present invention further relates to electrospinning of such ink formulation, to the so-obtained electrospun fibrous mat as well as to articles comprising such electrospun fibrous mat.