An innovative fuel cell system with membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) includes a polymer electrolyte membrane, a gas diffusion layer (GDL) made of porous metal foam, and a catalyst layer. A fuel cell has a metal foam layer that improves efficiency and lifetime of the conventional gas diffusion layer, which consists of both gas diffusion barrier (GDB) and microporous layer (MPL). This metal foam GDL enables consistent maintenance of the suitable structure and even distribution of pores during the operation. Due to the combination of mechanical and physical properties of metallic foam, the fuel cell is not deformed by external physical strain. Among many other processing methods of open-cell metal foams, ice-templating provides a cheap, easy processing route suitable for mass production. Furthermore, it provides well-aligned and long channel pores, which improve gas and water flow during the operation of the fuel cell.

The present disclosure relates to a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a core-shell catalyst, and more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a core-shell catalyst, in which a particle in the form of a core-shell in which the metal nanoparticle is coated with platinum is manufactured by substituting copper and platinum through a method of manufacturing a metal nanoparticle by emitting a laser beam to a metal ingot, and providing a particular electric potential value, and as a result, it is possible to continuously produce nanoscale uniform core-shell catalysts in large quantities.

The disclosure provides a method for forming noble metal nanostructures on a support. The method comprises mixing one or more noble metal precursor with a first solvent and a base to obtain a noble metal precursor solution; feeding the noble metal precursor solution to a spiral tube reactor; heating the spiral tube reactor containing the noble metal precursor solution to reduce the one or more noble metal precursor to obtain noble metal nanostructures; and mixing a support ink with the noble metal nanostructures obtained after heating, wherein the support ink comprises a second solvent, the support and an ink acid. There are also provided noble metal nanostructures on a support and a use thereof as an electro-catalyst in an electrode for fuel cell applications.

A computational method for determining a location and an amount of a transition metal M in surface facets of a Pt—M alloy using a density functional theory includes receiving a particle size and a surface facet distribution of the Pt—M alloy and a total concentration of M in the Pt—M alloy; calculating a total number of M atoms in the Pt—M alloy based on the particle size and the surface facet distribution of the Pt—M alloy and the total concentration of M in the Pt—M alloy; and predicting a mixing energy between Pt and at least one of the total number of M atoms in a subsurface layer of each of the surface facets of the Pt—M alloy when Pt is mixed with the at least one of the total number of M atoms.

A fuel cell catalyst which has high power output characteristics and suppresses degradation of power generation performance due to starting, stopping or load variation; a manufacturing method thereof; a membrane electrode assembly for fuel cell; and a fuel cell including the same. The fuel cell catalyst includes at least catalytically active species and a carrier supporting the catalytically active species. The catalytically active species are at least one selected from the group consisting of platinum, a platinum alloy, and a core-shell catalyst in which a core of a metal different from platinum is coated with a shell containing platinum, the carrier is a carbon material, and at least one of the catalytically active species and the carrier contain(s) fluorine atoms.

An electrode catalyst layer for electrochemical cells includes a first catalyst layer and a second catalyst layer. The first catalyst layer has a cell resistance measured at 80° C. and 40% RH lower than that of the second catalyst layer. The electrode catalyst layer for electrochemical cells is used with the first catalyst layer being disposed on an electrolyte membrane side relative to the second catalyst layer. It is preferable that a first catalytically active component contained in the first catalyst layer and a second catalytically active component contained in the second catalyst layer each independently contain at least one element selected from the group consisting of platinum, palladium, ruthenium, and iridium.

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing an electrode, preferably an implantable electrode array comprising the following steps: Applying (101) a layer of electrically conducting material (4) above a substrate material (1) for forming the electrically conductive traces; applying (102) a layer of insulating material (6) directly on top of the layer of electrically conducting material (4) for covering the electrically conductive traces; patterning (103) the layer of insulating material (4) by partly exposing the layer of electrically conducting material (4) to form at least one contact area (8) on the layer of the electrically conducting material (4), wherein a mask for patterning the layer of insulating material (6) defines a region (9) in the at least one contact area (8) at which the insulating material (6) in the at least one contact area (8) remains; and partly applying (104) a top layer (13) of electrically conducting material (4) at the contact area (8) on top of the layer of insulating material (6) for coating the remaining insulating material (9) to lift the contact area (8a). The invention further relates to an electrode, preferably an implantable electrode array.

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.

Provided is a method of manufacturing a supported catalyst and a supported catalyst manufactured using the same. The method may prevent the growth of catalytic metal particles by repeatedly applying heat, so the method is simpler and more economical than conventional processes. Moreover, since the support in the supported catalyst thus manufactured includes a hollow having a predetermined size, an electrode manufactured using the supported catalyst may ensure a desired electrode thickness even when used in a relatively small amount compared to the conventional technology. Moreover, water generated during operation of a fuel cell can be efficiently discharged, so desired mass transfer resistance can be exhibited, and a high electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) and superior catalytic activity can be attained.

A method of preparing a platinum-based alloy catalyst includes preparing a carbon-supported platinum-based alloy catalyst for a fuel cell that may be mass-produced and has high activity and high durability by using an aqueous ozone treatment method.