The present invention provides a catalyst layer for fuel cells having improved characteristics and a production method therefor.

A catalyst layer for a fuel cell, including a carbon carrier having pores, a catalyst metal carried on the carbon carrier, and an ionomer covering the carbon carrier, wherein the crystal length of the carbon carrier is not less than 6 nm, and the coverage of the catalyst metal by the ionomer is 55% to 65%, and a method for the production of a catalyst layer for a fuel cell, including heat-treating a carbon carrier having pores under an inert gas atmosphere so that the crystal length of the carbon carrier becomes not less than 6 nm, heat-treating the heat-treated carbon carrier under an oxygen atmosphere to activate the carbon carrier, allowing the activated carbon carrier to carry a catalyst metal, mixing the carbon carrier carrying the catalyst metal and an ionomer to cover the carbon carrier with the ionomer, and forming the catalyst layer for a fuel cell using the carbon carrier covered with the ionomer.

The present disclosure relates to a method for preparing a carbon-supported platinum-transition metal alloy nanoparticle catalyst. More particularly, the present disclosure provides a method for preparing a carbon-supported platinum-transition metal alloy nanoparticle catalyst using a stabilizer, the method including the steps of: (a) mixing a platinum precursor, a transition metal precursor, carbon, stabilizer and a reducing agent solution, and carrying out washing and drying to obtain carbon-supported platinum-transition metal alloy nanoparticles; (b) mixing the carbon-supported platinum-transition metal alloy nanoparticles with an acetic acid solution, and carrying out washing and drying to obtain acetic acid-treated nanoparticles; and (c) heat treating the acetic acid-treated nanoparticles. Thus, it is possible to obtain a carbon-supported platinum-transition metal alloy nanoparticle catalyst through a more simple and eco-friendly process as compared to the related art, and to apply the catalyst to a high-performance and high-durability fuel cell catalyst.

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.

This disclosure relates to electrolyzer composite membranes, and in particular, to a composite membrane having at least two reinforcing layers comprising a microporous polymer structure and a surprisingly high resistance to piercing. The electrolyzer composite membranes have a recombination catalyst configured to be disposed closer to an anode than to a cathode in a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA). The disclosure also relates to membrane-electrode assemblies and electrolyzers comprising the membranes, and to method of manufacture of the membranes.

Various embodiments provide glass bottle-based silicon electrode materials. A battery electrode includes silicon made from magnesiothermic reduction of silicon oxide derived from glass bottles and a conformal carbon coating thereon. A method of making the electrode material includes crushing glass bottles to produce crushed glass containing silicon oxide particles, mixing the silicon oxide particles with a heat scavenger to produce a mixture, magnesiothermically reducing the mixture to produce silicon, and applying a carbon coat to the silicon to produce an electrode material.

Disclosed are fuel cell systems, reinforced membrane electrode assemblies, and methods for fabricating a reinforced membrane electrode assembly. In an example, a disclosed method includes depositing an electrode ink onto a first substrate to form a first electrode layer, and applying a first porous reinforcement layer onto a surface of the first electrode layer to form a first catalyst coated substrate. The method also includes depositing a first ionomer solution onto the first catalyst coated substrate to form a first ionomer layer. A membrane porous reinforcement layer is applied onto a surface of the first ionomer layer to form a reinforced membrane layer.

A method for manufacturing a sensor element for detecting (i) a gas component in a measuring gas or (ii) a temperature of the measuring gas includes: introducing at least one functional element into at least one slip at least once in such a way that a slip layer is applied to the functional element, the functional element including at least one solid electrolyte and at least one functional layer; sintering the slip layer on the functional element; grinding the slip layer at least in the area of the at least one functional layer; impregnating the slip layer; and thermally treating the impregnated slip layer.

Provided is a microbial fuel cell including a cathode and an anode, wherein the cathode includes a waterproof gas diffusion layer including a siloxane and a catalyst layer including a binder, wherein a surface of the gas diffusion layer opposite the catalyst layer contacts air, and the anode includes electrogenic bacteria. Also provided is a method for making a microbial fuel cell, including fabricating a cathode, wherein fabricating includes disposing a siloxane solution onto a surface of a substrate, wherein the siloxane solution includes a siloxane and a solvent, drying the siloxane solution to form a waterproof gas diffusion layer, and placing the gas diffusion layer on a catalyst layer including a binder, and facing an anode with the cathode whereby the gas diffusion layer faces away from the anode and contacts air.

A method of forming a catalyst-containing electrode layer for a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel involves permeating an electrode layer with a liquid additive composition that comprises an ionic liquid additive and a carrier solvent. The electrode layer is then dried to remove the carrier solvent and deposit the ionic liquid additive within the electrode layer. The ionic liquid additive may be an organic cation of an ionic liquid, an organic anion of an ionic liquid, or both an organic cation and an organic anion of an ionic liquid. Once the electrode layer with its internal loading of the ionic liquid additive has been formed, a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell may be assembled such that the electrode layer constitutes either an anode layer or a cathode layer of the PEM fuel cell.

A method of making a catalyst layer of a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) for a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell includes the step of preparing a porous buckypaper layer comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of carbon nanofibers and carbon nanotubes. Platinum group metal nanoparticles are deposited in a liquid solution on an outer surface of the buckypaper to create a platinum group metal nanoparticle buckypaper. A proton conducting electrolyte is deposited on the platinum group metal nanoparticles by electrophoretic deposition to create a proton-conducting layer on the an outer surface of the platinum nanoparticles. An additional proton-conducting layer is deposited by contacting the platinum group metal nanoparticle buckypaper with a liquid proton-conducting composition in a solvent. The platinum group metal nanoparticle buckypaper is dried to remove the solvent. A membrane electrode assembly for a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell is also disclosed.