Manufacturing apparatus, systems and method of making silicon (Si) nanowires on carbon based powders, such as graphite, that may be used as anodes in lithium ion batteries are provided. In some embodiments, an inventive tumbler reactor and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system and method for growing silicon nanowires on carbon based powders in scaled up quantities to provide production scale anodes for the battery industry are described.

A novel method to modify the surface of lanthanum and strontium containing cathode powders before or after sintering by depositing layers of gadolinium doped ceria (GDC) and/or samarium doped ceria or similar materials via atomic layer deposition on the powders. The surface modified powders are sintered into porous cathodes that have utility enhancing the electrochemical performance of the cathodes, particularly for use in solid oxide fuel cells. Similar enhancements are observed for surface treatment of sintered cathodes.

The present invention is a method for producing a porous metal body or a method for producing an electrode catalyst, which is capable of simplifying the production process and improving the production efficiency by not requiring a step of immersion in an acid treatment solution. A method for producing a porous metal body according to the present invention comprises: a step for forming a metal resin-containing layer, which contains a metal and a resin that has a lower melting point than the metal, on a base; and a step for obtaining a porous metal body by subjecting the metal resin-containing layer to a heat treatment, thereby sintering the metal and removing the resin from the metal resin-containing layer.

Materials for electrochemical cells are provided. BaZr.sub.0.4Ce.sub.0.4M.sub.0.2O.sub.3 compounds, where M represents one or more rare earth elements, are provided for use as electrolytes. PrBa.sub.0.5Sr.sub.0.5Co.sub.2?xFe.sub.xO.sub.5+? is provided for use as a cathode. Also provided are electrochemical cells, such as protonic ceramic fuel cells, incorporating the compounds as electrolytes and cathodes.

In one aspect, the disclosure relates to ALD-coated cells comprising a conformal ultra-thin nanocomposite comprising Pt and CoO.sub.x on a LSCF/SDC cathode backbone. In a further aspect, the ALD-coated cells comprising an ultra-thin nanocomposite comprising Pt and CoO.sub.x on a LSCF/SDC cathode backbone are prepared using a disclosed Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) coating method. In a still further aspect, the disclosed ALD-coated cells comprise a heterogeneous coating layer comprising subjacent discrete Pt nanoparticles capped with superjacent fully dense conformal CoO.sub.x layer. In a yet further aspect, the performance of the disclosed ALD-coated cells is improved compared to baseline cells lacking the disclosed ALD coating on a LSCF/SDC cathod backbone. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

An efficient, stable catalyst material having a thin film catalyst supported on a support of metal carbide, nitride, oxide, carbonitride, oxycarbonitride core. The thin film catalyst comprises a catalytic metal selected from the group consisting of platinum-group metals, platinum-group metal oxides, transition metals, transition metal oxides, and combinations thereof. The thin film catalyst is covalently bonded to the support.

A catalytic arrangement for an electrolyzer system or a fuel cell system includes a catalyst support unit and a catalyst layer, wherein the catalyst layer has a carbon matrix with a metal, non-metal and/or metalloid doping.

The invention relates to a method for producing a supported catalyst material for a fuel-cell electrode, as well as a catalyst material that can be produced using said method. In the method, first, a carbide-forming substance is deposited from the gas phase onto the carbon-based carrier material to produce a carbide-containing layer and, then, a catalytically-active precious metal or an alloy thereof from the gas phase is deposited to form a catalytic layer. By chemical reaction of the carbide-forming substance with the carbon, very stable carbide bonds are formed at the interface, while an alloy phase of the two forms at the interface between carbide-forming substance and precious metal. Overall, a very stable adhesion of the catalytic precious metal to the substrate results, whereby degradation effects are reduced, and the life of the material is extended.

A glucose fuel cell for reception into a given constrained volume of implantation in a vertebrate in which the glucose fuel cell has access to fluid containing glucose. The fuel cell includes an anode adapted to oxidize the glucose, a cathode adapted to reduce an oxidant, and a membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode and separating the anode from the cathode. At least one of the anode or cathode define a flexible sheet that is geometrically deformed to be receivable into the given constrained volume of implantation and increase volumetric power density. Related methods of making a glucose fuel cell of this type and implantable assemblies including the glucose fuel cell are also disclosed.

A method of preparing a metal nanoparticle on a surface includes subjecting a metal source to a temperature and a pressure in a carrier gas selected to provide a vapor metal species at a vapor pressure in the range of about 10.sup.4 to about 10.sup.11 atm; contacting the vapor metal species with a heated substrate; and depositing the metal as a nanoparticle on the substrate.