The present invention relates to a membrane electrode unit comprising a polymer membrane doped with a mineral acid as well as two electrodes, characterized in that the polymer membrane comprises at least one polymer with at least one nitrogen atom and at least one electrode comprises a catalyst which is formed from at least one precious metal and at least one metal less precious according to the electrochemical series.

A cathode catalyst layer of fuel cells, the cathode catalyst layer including a first fibrous electrically-conductive member, a first particulate electrically-conductive member, first catalyst particles, and a first proton conductive resin. A ratio I.sub.1/C.sub.1 of a mass of the first proton conductive resin to a mass of the first electrically particulate conductive member is in a range of 1.0 to 1.6. A ratio of the first fibrous electrically-conductive member to 100 parts by mass of the first particulate conductive member is 30 to 50 parts by mass. The first proton conductive resin has an EW value of 600 to 850.

The use of an electrocatalyst material in an anode catalyst layer, wherein the electrocatalyst material comprises a support material, the support material comprising a plurality of individual support particles or aggregates wherein each individual support particle or aggregate has dispersed thereon (i) first particles and (ii) second particles, wherein: (i) the first particles comprise Pt optionally alloyed with an alloying metal X1; wherein the optional alloying metal X1 is selected from the group consisting of Rh, Ti, Os, V, Co, Ni, Ga, Hf, Sn, Ir, Pd, Mo, Zn, W, Zr and Re; (ii) the second particles consist essentially of a second metal or a second metal compound wherein the second metal is selected from the group consisting of Ir and Ru and the second metal compound comprises IrX2 wherein X2 is selected from the group consisting of Ta, Nb, Ru, Ni and Co; and wherein if the first particles consist of Pt then the second particles do not comprise IrTa; and wherein if the first particles consist of Pt without alloying metal X1 and the second particles consist essentially of a second metal which is Ir, each individual support particle or aggregate of the support material of the electrocatalyst material has dispersed thereon only the said first and second particles; or wherein each individual support particle or aggregate has dispersed thereon (i) first particles and (ii) third particles, wherein: (iii) the third particles comprise Au or a third metal alloy; wherein the third metal alloy is selected from the group consisting of AuX3 and PdX4, wherein X3 is selected from the group consisting of Pt, Pd, Cu, Ir and Sn; and X4 is selected from the group consisting of Hg, Au, Sn, Co, Ni, Ga, In, Zn, W and Pb.

The present invention relates to a process for the production of metal alloy nanoparticles which catalyse the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) for use in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) or electrolyser cells. In particular, the present invention relates to a process for producing alloy nanoparticles from platinum group metals and other metals under reductive conditions. In particular the present invention relates to a process for producing alloy nanoparticles comprising the steps of mixing a salt of at least one metal, a material comprising a platinum group metal, a nitrogen-rich compound, and optionally a support material, to provide a precursor mixture, and heating said precursor mixture to a temperature of at least 400° C., in the presence of a gas comprising hydrogen (H.sub.2), to provide said alloy nanoparticles.

A fuel cell membrane-electrode assembly includes a support material including a ceramic material and iridium oxide, wherein a weight fraction of iridium oxide, based on metallic iridium, with respect to the total weight of the support material, is at most 50 wt%, and the support material has a weight loss of less than 3 wt%, based on the weight fraction of the iridium oxide on exposure of the support material to a 3.3 vol% hydrogen stream in argon at a temperature of 80° C. for 12 hours.

A platinum-carbon catalyst, a preparation method therefor and an application thereof are provided. Among N.sub.1s spectral peaks of the XPS analysis of the platinum-carbon catalyst, except for the presence of characteristic peaks between 399 ev and 400.5 ev, there are no other characteristic peaks between 395 ev and 405 ev; and a carrier of the platinum-carbon catalyst is nitrogen doped conductive carbon black. The carrier conductive carbon black of the platinum-carbon catalyst is modified, and by means of controlling the doping form of a doping element, the mass specific activity and electrochemical area of the platinum-carbon catalyst are significantly improved; further, the stability of the platinum-carbon catalyst and the ability to resist carbon corrosion may also be improved. A method for preparing the platinum-carbon catalyst is also provided.

The catalyst for electrodes comprises: a porous support which has nanopores having a pore diameter of from 1 nm to 20 nm and micropores having a pore diameter of less than 1 nm; and a plurality of catalyst particles which are supported by the support. The catalyst particles are supported by both inner portions and outer portions of mesopores of the support, and contain Pt (zerovalent). If an analysis of the particle size distribution of the catalyst particles is performed using three-dimensional reconstructed images obtained through a STEM-based electron tomography measurement, the condition of formula (S1), namely (100×(N10/N20)≤8.0) is satisfied, where N10 represents the number of noble metal particles that are not in contact with pores having a pore diameter of 1 nm or more; and N20 represents the number of catalyst particles that are supported by the inner portions of the nanopores of the support.

A membrane electrode assembly (MEA) includes an ionically-conductive proton exchange membrane. Further, the MEA includes an anode contacting a first side of the membrane. The anode includes an anode gas diffusion layer (GDL). Further, the anode includes a first anode catalyst layer containing first catalyst particles, a hydrophobic polymer bonding agent, and a first ionomer bonding agent that lacks functional chains on a molecular backbone. The anode also includes a second anode catalyst layer containing second catalyst particles and a second ionomer bonding agent that includes functional chains on a molecular backbone. The MEA also includes a cathode contacting a second side of the membrane and comprising third catalyst particles and a cathode GDL.

Provided is a method of preparing an intermetallic catalyst. The method includes form core-shell particles including a transition metal oxide coating layer by irradiating ultrasonic waves to a precursor mixture solution including a noble metal precursor, a transition metal precursor, and a carrier to; forming intermetallic particles including a transition metal oxide coating layer by annealing the core-shell particles; and removing the transition metal oxide coating layer from the intermetallic particles.

Fuel cell electrocatalysts and support structures thereof are described herein. The support structures include a suboxide core comprising an oxygen deficient metal oxide and a dopant, and an outer shell covering the suboxide core. The outer shell comprises the dopant in oxide form. The dopant of the suboxide core provides for the suboxide core to be conductive. Methods of forming fuel cell electrocatalysts and support structures thereof are also described herein.