A new solvent-based method is presented for making low-cost composite graphite electrodes containing a thermoplastic binder. The electrodes, termed thermoplastic electrodes (TPEs), are easy to fabricate and pattern, give excellent electrochemical performance, and have high conductivity (1500 S m.sup.1). The thermoplastic binder enables the electrodes to be hot embossed, molded, templated, and/or cut with a CO.sub.2 laser into a variety of intricate patterns. These electrodes show a marked improvement in peak current, peak separation, and resistance to charge transfer over traditional carbon electrodes. The impact of electrode composition, surface treatment (sanding, polishing, plasma treatment), and graphite source were found to impact fabrication, patterning, conductivity, and electrochemical performance. Under optimized conditions, electrodes generated responses similar to more expensive and difficult to fabricate graphene and highly oriented pyrolytic graphite electrodes. These TPE electrodes provide an approach for fabricating high-performance carbon electrodes with applications ranging from sensing to batteries.

Dry process based energy storage device structures and methods for using a dry adhesive therein are disclosed.

A catalyst structure includes: (1) a substrate; (2) a catalyst layer on the substrate; and (3) an adhesion layer disposed between the substrate and the catalyst layer. In some implementations, an average thickness of the adhesion layer is about 1 nm or less. In some implementations, a material of the catalyst layer at least partially extends into a region of the adhesion layer. In some implementations, the catalyst layer is characterized by a lattice strain imparted by the adhesion layer.

Disclosed are a reversible fuel cell oxygen electrode in which IrO.sub.2 is electrodeposited and formed on a porous carbon material and platinum is applied thereon to form a porous platinum layer, a reversible fuel cell including the same, and a method for preparing the same. According to the corresponding reversible fuel cell oxygen electrode, as the loading amounts of IrO.sub.2 and platinum used in the reversible fuel cell oxygen electrode can be lowered, it is possible to exhibit excellent reversible fuel cell performances (excellent fuel cell performance and water electrolysis performance) by improving the mass transport of water and oxygen while being capable of reducing the loading amounts of IrO.sub.2 and platinum. Further, it is possible to exhibit a good activity of a catalyst when the present disclosure is applied to a reversible fuel cell oxygen electrode and to reduce corrosion of carbon.

An anode component for a lithium-ion cell is formed using an atmospheric plasma deposition. The anode component has an anode material layer comprising high lithium-intercalating capacity silicon particles as active anode material in pores of a bonded layer of metal particles. The atmospheric plasma deposition process deposits metal particles and smaller silicon-containing particles concurrently or sequentially on an anode current collector substrate or polymeric separator substrate for the lithium-ion cell. The anode material layer may optionally be lithiated in the atmospheric plasma deposition process. The plasma deposition process is used to form a porous electrode layer on the substrate consisting essentially of a porous metal matrix containing smaller particles of the electrode material particles supported and carried in the pores of the matrix. When the anode component is assembled into a cell, remaining pore capacity is filled with a lithium-ion containing liquid electrolyte solution.

Dry process based energy storage device structures and methods for using a dry adhesive therein are disclosed.

Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a membrane electrode assembly with minimized interfacial resistance between an electrode and an electrolyte membrane. For instance, a catalyst admixture including a catalyst composite including a catalyst and a first binder, and a second binder may be applied to a porous substrate and the porous substrate may be impregnated with the second binder, thereby minimizing interfacial resistance between the electrode and the electrolyte membrane and reducing a thickness of the electrolyte membrane.

An anode component for a lithium-ion cell is formed using an atmospheric plasma deposition. The anode component has an anode material layer comprising high lithium-intercalating capacity silicon particles as active anode material in pores of a bonded layer of metal particles. The atmospheric plasma deposition process deposits metal particles and smaller silicon-containing particles concurrently or sequentially on an anode current collector substrate or polymeric separator substrate for the lithium-ion cell. The anode material layer may optionally be lithiated in the atmospheric plasma deposition process. The plasma deposition process is used to form a porous electrode layer on the substrate consisting essentially of a porous metal matrix containing smaller particles of the electrode material particles supported and carried in the pores of the matrix. When the anode component is assembled into a cell, remaining pore capacity is filled with a lithium-ion containing liquid electrolyte solution.

A catalyst structure includes: (1) a substrate; (2) a catalyst layer on the substrate; and (3) an adhesion layer disposed between the substrate and the catalyst layer. In some implementations, an average thickness of the adhesion layer is about 1 nm or less. In some implementations, a material of the catalyst layer at least partially extends into a region of the adhesion layer. In some implementations, the catalyst layer is characterized by a lattice strain imparted by the adhesion layer.

A method and apparatus are described for forming a multilayer assembly. The method includes adhering first and second catalyst layers to opposed sides of a polymer membrane. At least one of the first catalyst layer, the second catalyst layer, and the polymer membrane is formed by filament extension atomization of a fluid material to form atomized droplets that are sprayed to form the respective membrane or layer.