Described herein is a method for manufacturing a catalytically-active membrane-electrode-assembly (20) with one or more, particularly two electrodes, the method comprising at least the steps of: i) depositing a heterogenous layer (3) on a substrate (5), the heterogeneous layer (3) comprising a base metal (1) and a noble metal (2) heterogeneously distributed in the heterogenous layer (3), ii) leaching of the base metal (1) out of the heterogeneous layer (3), such that a first self-supporting nanoporous catalyst layer (4) comprising the noble metal (2) is formed on the substrate (5), iii) adding of at least one kind of proton-conductive ionomers (40) and/or at least one kind of hydrophobic particles (41) and/or an ionic liquid (42) to the first self-supporting nanoporous catalyst layer (4), and iv) forming a catalytically-active membrane-electrode-assembly (20) by attaching the self-supporting nanoporous catalyst layer (4) to a first side of a membrane (10), such that a catalytically-active membrane-electrode-assembly (20) with one electrode is formed.

A method of producing a conductive nanoporous support, comprises: (i) producing an inorganic template by mixing and subjecting to high-energy ball milling an inorganic material and a powder selected from a carbonaceous material, a polymer, or a metal oxide; and (ii) coating the inorganic template with metal nanoparticles to obtain the nanoporous support. The invention further relates to a conductive nanoporous support, an electrolytic electrode, or gas diffusion electrode and an electrolytic cell or fuel cell.

The present invention relates to a method of coating one or more metal components of a fuel cell stack, such as a bipolar plate, an electrode, gaskets etc., the method comprising the steps of providing an uncoated metal component; etching said uncoated metal component; optionally depositing an adhesion layer on the etched uncoated metal component; and depositing a carbon coating on either the adhesion layer or on the etched uncoated metal component, with the adhesion layer and the carbon coating respectively being deposited by means of one of a physical vapor deposition process, an arc ion plating process, a sputtering process, and a Hipims process. The invention further relates to a component of a fuel cell stack and to an apparatus for coating one or more components of a fuel cell stack.

In some embodiments, a solid oxide fuel system is provided. The solid oxide fuel cell system may include a chromium-getter material. The chromium-getter material may react with chromium to remove chromium species from chromium vapor. The solid oxide fuel cell system may also include an inert substrate. The chromium-getter material may be coated onto the inert substrate. The coated substrate may remove chromium species from chromium vapor before the chromium species can react with a cathode in the solid oxide fuel cell system.

A membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) including a membrane and two electrodes, and further at least one layer located at the interface of the membrane and of an electrode. The layer contains a proton conductive polymer which has a glass transition temperature lower than or equal to, advantageously lower than, that of the proton conductive polymer contained in the membrane.

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.

Methods of preparing catalyst materials are provided. The catalyst material comprise electrocatalyst particles, a support material, and graphitic carbon nitride. The methods comprise applying graphitic carbon nitride to a catalyst material precursor.

Ionomer membranes for fuel cells and related devices are described. An ionomer membrane may be configured with a plurality of anode-side protrusions and/or a plurality of cathode-side protrusions. A filler material(s) may be deposited into voids of an ionomer membrane. Example filler materials include, but are not limited to, platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), gold (Au), silver (Ag), iridium (Ir), etc., and their alloys on carbon supports.

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.

Microcracked and crack-free catalyst layers such as for electrodes in electrochemical cells (e.g., fuel cells) and method of making the same are disclosed. The microcracks may improve durability by better tolerating stresses without inducing or propagating into macrocracks. The microcracks also improve efficiency by providing reactant (e.g., oxygen) passages to catalyst in the catalyst layer. The microcracks may be formed in a predetermined pattern to further localize additional reactant passages is conventionally starved or more starved locations.