An anode catalyst layer for a fuel cell includes: electrode catalyst particles; a carbon carrier carrying the electrode catalyst particles; water electrolysis catalyst particles; a proton-conductive binder; and a graphitized carbon, wherein the content of the graphitized carbon in the anode catalyst layer for a fuel cell is 3-70 mass % with respect to the total mass of the electrode catalyst particles, the carbon carrier, and the graphitized carbon.

Porous carbon fiber electrode materials are provided having fast electron and ion transport. The porous carbon fiber electrodes include uniform mesoscale pores that are partially filled with a metal oxide layer. With large mass loadings of metal oxide, porous carbon fiber electrodes described herein can outperform conventional metal oxide electrodes at similar loadings. In various aspects, electrode materials are provided having (i) a porous carbon fiber support with a plurality of mesoscale pores having an internal surface and an average pore width of about 2 mm to about 200 mm; and (ii) a metal oxide layer on at least the internal surface of the mesoscale pores. Methods of making the porous carbon fiber electrode materials are also provided. Using a microphase-separation of block copolymers, the methods can provide porous carbon fiber supports with interconnected and uniform mesoscale pores that can be deposited with a metal oxide layer.

A catalyst layer for polymer electrolyte fuel cells that improves drainage or gas diffusion, reduces or prevents the occurrence of cracking in a catalyst layer, enhances catalyst utilization efficiency, exerts high output power and high energy conversion efficiency, and has high durability, and also provides a membrane-electrode assembly and a polymer electrolyte fuel cell using the catalyst layer. The catalyst layer for polymer electrolyte fuel cells contains a catalyst, carbon particles, a polymer electrolyte, and a fibrous material. In the catalyst layer, the carbon particles carry the catalyst1. The catalyst layer for polymer electrolyte fuel cells has voids. The percentage of frequencies of the voids having a cross-sectional area of 10,000 nm.sup.2 or more is 13% or more and 20% or less among the voids observed in a thickness-direction cross section of the catalyst layer for polymer electrolyte fuel cells perpendicular to the surface thereof.

A method is provided for producing a catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction in an electrochemical cell. The method for producing a catalyst for an oxygen reduction reaction of an electrochemical cell comprises preparing a solution containing sodium alginate and a solvent, preparing a gel by adding a transition metal precursor to the solution, preparing a reactant by adding a nitrogen doping agent to the gel, and stirring the reactant to cause a reaction to obtain a product; and heat-treating the product.

A preparation method of a direct ethanol fuel cell includes synthesizing electrolytes, preparing a cathode and an anode, and clamping the electrolytes between the cathode and the anode to get direct ethanol fuel cell. The electrolytes are synthesized by polymerizing sodium acrylate with an initiator to get a hydrogel, and the hydrogel is soaked in a harsh alkaline solution. The cathode is synthesized by coating N,S codoped carbon catalyst onto a current collector, where the N,S codoped carbon catalyst is synthesized by mixing and preheating silica powder, sucrose and trithiocyanuric acid to get a mixed powder, and mixing and heating the mixed powder with poly tetra fluoroethylene so as to get the N,S codoped carbon catalyst. The anode is synthesized by coating Pt-Ru/C catalyst onto a current collector.

Various aspects described herein relate to electrochemical devices, e.g., for separation of one or more biomolecules from a solution, and methods of using the same. Methods for using the electrochemical devices for biocatalysis are also described herein.

A fuel cell catalyst for oxygen reduction reactions including Pt—Ni—Cu nanoparticles supported on nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon (MPC) having enhanced activity and durability, and method of making said catalyst. The catalyst is synthesized by employing a solid state chemistry method, which involves thermally pretreating a N-doped MPC to remove moisture from the surface; impregnation of metal precursors on the N-doped MPC under vacuum condition; and reducing the metal precurors in a stream of CO and H.sub.2 gas mixture.

The present disclosure relates to an electrolyte membrane for fuel cells including a hydrogen peroxide generating catalyst and a hydrogen peroxide decomposing catalyst, the electrolyte membrane exhibiting highly improved durability, and a method of manufacturing the same. Specifically, the electrolyte membrane includes a support and a catalyst particle including a catalyst metal supported by the support, the catalyst metal including one selected from the group consisting of a first metal having catalyst activity to generate hydrogen peroxide, a second metal having catalyst activity to decompose hydrogen peroxide, and a combination thereof.

A battery may include an anode, a cathode positioned opposite to the anode, a separator positioned between the anode and the cathode, an electrolyte dispersed throughout the cathode and in contact with the anode, and a dual-pore system. The anode may be configured to release a plurality of lithium ions. The cathode may include a plurality of pathways defined by a plurality of porous non-hollow carbonaceous spherical particles and may include a plurality of carbonaceous structures each based on a coalescence of a group of the porous non-hollow carbonaceous spherical particles. The dual-pore system may be disposed in the cathode and defined in shape and orientation by the plurality of carbonaceous structures. In some aspects, the dual-pore system may be configured to receive gaseous oxygen from the ambient atmosphere.

A membrane electrode assembly (MEA) includes a membrane, a cathode catalyst layer, a cathode co-catalyst layer including a hydrogen reservoir, an anode catalyst layer, and an anode co-catalyst layer including a hydrogen reservoir. The anode co-catalyst layer and the cathode co-catalyst layer cap a cathode potential at lower than 1.5V and an anode potential at lower than 1.0V. The anode co-catalyst layer and the cathode co-catalyst layer can include a platinum doped rare earth oxide, such as platinum doped cerium oxide.