A bimetallic catalyst alloy is provided for use in fuel cells, particularly in the oxidation of dimethyl ether in a direct dimethyl ether fuel cell.

The present invention relates to a metal-doped tin oxide which has a BET surface area of at least 30 m 2/g, and comprises at least one metal dopant which is Sb, Nb, Ta, Bi, W, or In, or any mixture thereof, wherein the metal dopant is present in an amount of from 2.5 at % to 25 at %, based on the total amount of tin and metal dopant atoms, and is in a mixed valence state containing atoms of oxidation state OS1 and atoms of oxidation state OS2, wherein the oxidation state OS1 is >0 and the oxidation state OS2 is >OS1 and the atomic ratio of the atoms of OS2 to the atoms of OS1 is from 1.5 to 12.0.

The present invention relates to a flexible electrode, a biofuel cell using the same, and a method for manufacturing the same. The electrode according to the present invention comprises: a non-electrically conductive substrate (10); a base layer (20) disposed on the outer surface of the substrate (10); a nanoparticle layer (31) including metallic nanoparticles and disposed on the outer surface of the base layer (20); and a monomolecular layer (33) including a monomolecular material having an amine group and disposed on the outer surface of the nanoparticle layer (31).

A catalyst system comprises an electrically conductive carrier metal oxide and an electrically conductive, metal oxide catalyst material, wherein the carrier metal oxide and the catalyst material differ in their composition and wherein the catalyst material and the carrier metal oxide are each stabilized with fluorine. A near-surface pH value, designated pzzp value (pzzp=point of zero zeta potential), of the carrier metal oxide and of the catalyst material differ from one another, wherein the pzzp value of either the carrier metal oxide or the catalyst material is at most pH=5. The catalyst material and the carrier metal oxide form an at least two-phase disperse oxide composite. The catalysts system may be used in an electrode which may be used in a fuel cell or an electrolyzer.

A method for forming an electrode catalyst layer by putting catalyst ink within an insulative container having a conductive nozzle in communication with the interior of the container and applying an electrospray voltage to the nozzle to cause electrospray of the catalyst ink through the tip end of the nozzle and thereby to form an electrode catalyst layer, the method includes preparing catalyst ink containing a mixture of at least electrode catalyst, polymer electrolyte binder and volatile organic compound and/or water, putting the catalyst ink within the container with a space remaining inside thereof and air-tightly sealing the container, and electrospraying with the space inside of the air-tightly sealed container being conditioned to have a negative pressure of a level at which the catalyst ink cannot drip off from the nozzle.

An electrocatalyst including carbon and a nanosheet supported on the carbon. The nanosheet includes a metal ruthenium nanosheet, and a platinum atomic layer formed on an entire surface of the metal ruthenium nanosheet. The metal ruthenium nanosheet is a monoatomic layer, and the platinum atomic layer is a monoatomic layer or a monoatomic layer laminated body.

A catalyst, includes: a carbon support that possesses functional groups including a carboxyl group; and a metal that is supported onto the carbon support, wherein the proportion of the carboxyl group to the functional groups is 10% or higher. A method for producing a catalyst includes: (i) supporting metal particles onto a carbon support; (ii) bringing the carbon support into contact with an acid solution; and (iii) calcining the carbon support after Step (ii), wherein the carbon support included in the produced catalyst possesses functional groups including a carboxyl group, and the proportion of said carboxyl group to the functional groups is 10% or higher.

Disclosed is a fuel cell membrane electrode assembly (MEA) embodiment including an anode layer; at least one exchange membrane that is disposed on the anode layer as either a single-layered structure including one exchange membrane or a multi-layered structure including a plurality of exchange membranes, each exchange membrane of the at least one exchange membrane consisting of a film comprising hexagonal boron, and the at least one exchange membrane having a total thickness ranging from 0.3 to 3 nm; an interfacial binding layer that completely covers an exposed surface of one exchange membrane which is obverse to the anode layer and that consists of poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) as a binder material; and a cathode layer formed on the interfacial binding layer. Alternately, a fuel cell membrane electrode embodiment may completely eliminate the interfacial binding layer and both embodiments provide superior fuel cell performance.

The present invention provides an electrically conductive material having excellent resistance to a high potential and strongly acidic environment and high electrical conductivity; and an electrode material and a fuel cell each including the same. The present invention also provides a method for simply and easily producing such an electrically conductive material. The present invention relates to an electrically conductive material including a titanium suboxide particulate powder, the titanium suboxide particulate powder including a rutile crystalline phase as a main phase, and having a composition of TiO.sub.n wherein n is 1.5 or more and 1.90 or less, and a brightness L* in the L*a*b*color system of 35 to 45.

A method for inspecting a membrane electrode structure (1) which includes a first step in which detection medium capable of detecting elements of a first electrode catalyst layer (12) and a second electrode catalyst layer (22) and an element of a metal foreign matter (40) is sent along a thickness direction from the side of a first electrode layer (10) to a second electrode layer (20) side to obtain a thickness direction profile of a detection signal, and a second step in which an analysis unit identifies a thickness direction position of the metal foreign matter (40), from intensity of the detection signal in the thickness direction profile, and in which the analysis unit identifies thickness direction positions of the first and second electrode catalyst layer (12)(22), or a thickness direction position of an electrolyte membrane (30), from the intensity of the detection signal in the thickness direction profile.