A method for making corrosion resistant carbon nanoparticles includes a step of heating a carbon powder to a predetermined temperature. The carbon powder includes carbon particles having an average spatial dimension from about 10 to 100 nanometers. The carbon powder is contacted with a vapor of a metal-containing compound. The carbon powder is then contacted with a vapor of an activating compound. These steps are repeated plurality of times to form a metal-containing layer on the carbon particles.

A solid oxide fuel cell comprising an electrolyte, an anode and a cathode. In this fuel cell at least one electrode has been modified with a promoter using gas phase infiltration.

An apparatus and method is described to coat small and large quantities of solid particles using atomic layer deposition, with increased material utilization and decreased cycle times. The resulting higher coating efficiency ALD process is achieved by a controlled pressure differential acting across a rotating porous vessel that contains a plurality of solid particles. The apparatus is comprised of two coaxial cylindrical porous vessels with a means for one to rotate, and a two stage rotary feedthrough with a specialized hollowed out shaft, which enables both rotation of the vessel and reactant, purge, and product gas transport across a particle bed that undergoes mixing.

The present invention provides a method of preparing metal or metal oxide particles on a substrate by forming a reaction mixture of a metal or metal oxide precursor and a substrate, and heating the reaction mixture at reduced pressure, such that metal or metal oxide particles are formed on the substrate.

A method for forming a corrosion-resistant catalyst for fuel cell catalyst layers is provided. The method includes a step of depositing a conformal Pt or platinum alloy thin layer on NbO.sub.2 substrate particles to form Pt-coated NbO.sub.2. The Pt-coated NbO.sub.2 particles are then incorporated into a fuel cell catalyst layer.

A method of manufacturing an electrode, including: a) depositing catalytic growth seeds on an electrically conducting support by aerosol spraying, b) growth of oriented carbon nanotubes on the basis of the deposition of the catalytic growth seeds, c) a deposition of sulphur on the oriented carbon nanotubes formed in b), and d) a deposition of a layer of carbon on the sulphur. An electrode, as well as to a battery including such an electrode, includes an electrically conducting support and oriented carbon nanotubes disposed on the surface of the electrically conducting support and covered at least partly by sulphur, the oriented carbon nanotubes exhibiting a length of greater than 20 m, or greater than 50 m.

A method of manufacturing a catalyst for a Pt.sub.xM.sub.y-based PEMFC, M being a transition metal, including the steps of: depositing Pt.sub.xM.sub.y nanostructures on a support; annealing the nanostructures; depositing a Pt.sub.xM.sub.y layer at the surface of the nanostructures thus formed; and chemically leaching metal M. It also aims at the catalyst obtained with this method.

Some aspects of the present disclosure are related to modified electrodes, for example, for use in fuel cells. In some cases, the electrode may comprise a mixed-ionic-electronic-conducting (MIEC) oxide and a basic oxide. In some cases, the basic oxide may alter the electron density of the MIEC oxide and improve its catalytic performance, for example, like the oxygen reduction reaction. For instance, the catalytic performance of a MIEC oxide comprising a perovskite towards the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) may be improved by using a basic oxide comprising CaO and/or Li.sub.2O. Some aspects disclosed herein are directed to methods of preventing or treating chromia or silica poisoning of a MIEC oxide, wherein the method comprises treating the MIEC electrode with a basic oxide infiltrant.

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.

Embodiments of ionomer components comprising selectively deposited catalysts are described. The ionomer component comprise a catalyst that is preferentially deposited on or in the vicinity of the ionomer component over other areas of electrochemical components that do not comprise the ionomer component. Also disclosed herein are novel methods and apparatus embodiments used to make the disclosed ionomer components and devices comprising the same.