A process for preparing a catalyst material, said catalyst material comprising a support material, a first metal and one or more second metals, wherein the first metal and the second metal(s) are alloyed and wherein the first metal is a platinum group metal and the second metal(s) is selected from the group of transition metals and tin provided the second metal(s) is different to the first metal is disclosed. The process comprises depositing a silicon oxide before or after deposition of the second metal(s), alloying the first and second metals and subsequently removing silicon oxide. A catalyst material prepared by this process is also disclosed.

A catalyst comprising a functionalized substrate having a first charged functional group, a metal dispersed on the substrate, wherein the metal comprises at least one of Pt, Rh, Pd, Ag, Au, Ni, Os, Ir, Mn, Co, alloys thereof, oxides thereof, or mixtures thereof, and an ionomer are disclosed. Methods manufacturing a functionalized catalyst comprising catalyzing a substrate with a metal, functionalizing the catalyzed substrate with a first charged functional group, and add an ionomer to the loaded functionalized catalyst are also disclosed. Also, methods comprising catalyzing a substrate with a metal, functionalizing the substrate with a first charged functional group, and adding an ionomer to the loaded functionalized catalyst are disclosed.

Disclosed are an electrode for fuel cells, a membrane electrode assembly for fuel cells including the same and a method for manufacturing the same in which the electrode is manufactured by forming an ionomer layer between an electrode layer and a catalyst layer and an antioxidant is dispersed into the catalyst layer of the electrode and an ion exchange layer of an electrolyte membrane so as to improve interfacial bonding force between the electrode and the electrolyte membrane, the electrode is bonded to the electrolyte membrane using a transfer process, and durability of the electrode and the electrolyte membrane is improved.

A manufacturing process includes: depositing a first catalyst on a first gas diffusion layer (GDL) to form a first catalyst-coated GDL; depositing a first ionomer on the first catalyst-coated GDL to form a first gas diffusion electrode (GDE); depositing a second catalyst on a second GDL to form a second catalyst-coated GDL; depositing a second ionomer on the second catalyst-coated GDL to form a second GDE; and laminating the first GDE with the second GDE and with an electrolyte membrane disposed between the first GDE and the second GDE to form a membrane electrode assembly (MEA). A MEA includes a first GDL; a second GDL; an electrolyte membrane disposed between the first GDL and the second GDL; a first catalyst layer disposed between the first GDL and the electrolyte membrane; and a second catalyst layer disposed between the second GDL and the electrolyte membrane, wherein a thickness of the electrolyte membrane is about 15 μm or less.

Mesoporous carbon has a connecting structure in which primary particles made of carbon particles having primary pores with a primary pore diameter of less than 20 nm are connected. In the mesoporous carbon, the pore capacity of secondary pores with secondary pore diameters within a range of 20 nm to 100 nm, which is measured by a mercury intrusion method, is 0.42 cm.sup.3/g or more and 1.34 cm.sup.3/g or less. In addition, the mesoporous carbon has a linearity of 2.2 or more and 2.6 or less. An electrode catalyst for a fuel cell includes the mesoporous carbon and catalyst particles supported in the primary pores in the mesoporous carbon. Furthermore, a catalyst layer includes the electrode catalyst for the fuel cell and a catalyst layer ionomer.

The present invention relates to a catalyst for a solid polymer fuel cell that includes catalyst particles supported on a carbon powder carrier, the catalyst particles containing platinum, cobalt, and manganese. In the catalyst particles of the catalyst, the component ratio of platinum, cobalt, and manganese is Pt:Co:Mn=1:0.25 to 0.28:0.07 to 0.10 in a molar ratio, the average particle size is 3.4 to 5.0 nm, and further, in the particle size distribution of the catalyst particles, the proportion of catalyst particles having a particle size of 3.0 nm or less in the entire catalyst particles is 37% or less on a particle number basis. Then, a fluorine compound having a C—F bond is supported at least on the surface of the catalyst particles. The present invention is, with respect to the above ternary alloy catalyst, an invention particularly effective in improving the durability.

Disclosed is a method of preparing a catalyst having a conductive oxide protective layer. The method may include providing (e.g., supplying) a carbon support having a metal catalyst supported thereon to a fluidized bed reactor, and forming a conductive oxide protective layer using atomic layer deposition (ALD). Particularly, the atomic layer deposition may include supplying a conductive oxide precursor to the fluidized bed reactor, conducting a first purging by supplying an inert gas to the fluidized bed reactor, converting the conductive oxide precursor to conductive oxide by supplying a reactive gas to the fluidized bed reactor, and conducting a second purging by supplying an inert gas to the fluidized bed reactor.

Disclosed are a catalyst electrode for a fuel cell, a method for fabricating the catalyst electrode, and a fuel cell including the catalyst electrode. The presence of an ionomer-ionomer support composite in the catalyst electrode prevents the porous structure of the catalyst electrode from collapsing due to oxidation of a carbon support to avoid an increase in resistance to gas diffusion and can stably secure proton channels. The presence of carbon materials with high conductivity is effective in preventing the electrical conductivity of the electrode from deterioration resulting from the use of a metal oxide in the ionomer-ionomer support composite and is also effective in suppressing collapse of the porous structure of the electrode to prevent an increase in resistance to gas diffusion in the electrode. Based on these effects, the fuel cell exhibits excellent performance characteristics and prevents its performance from deteriorating during continuous operation.

Disclosed is a method of manufacturing an electrolyte membrane including an antioxidant. The method may include forming a first dispersion liquid including deionized water, a first ionomer dispersion solution and an antioxidant, and forming a second dispersion liquid including the first dispersion liquid and a second ionomer dispersion solution.

A cathode configured to use oxygen as a cathode active material comprising a conductive layer including an electronic conductor, wherein the conductive layer is free of pores.