Embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to electrocatalysts that include a surface and a plurality of catalytically active sites associated with the surface. The catalytically active sites include individually dispersed metallic atoms that are associated with heteroatoms. In some embodiments, the surface includes graphene oxide, the heteroatoms include nitrogen, and the metallic atoms include cobalt. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of mediating an electrocatalytic reaction by exposing a precursor material to an electrocatalyst of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the electrocatalytic reaction is a hydrogen evolution reaction that results in the formation of molecular hydrogen from the precursor material. Further embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of making the electrocatalysts of the present disclosure by associating a surface with heteroatoms and metallic atoms.

Provided are an electrode, an electrolysis cell, and an electrochemical analyzer that improve the long-term stability of analysis data. A working electrode, a counter electrode, and reference electrode are disposed in an electrolysis cell. The working electrode is obtained by forming a lead wire in a composite material having platinum or a platinum alloy as a base material, in which a metal oxide is dispersed, or in a laminated material obtained by laminating a valve metal and platinum such that the cross sectional crystal texture in the thickness direction of the platinum is formed in layers and the thickness of each layer of the platinum is 5 micrometers or less. The metal oxide is selected from among zirconium oxide, tantalum oxide, and niobium oxide, and the metal oxide content of the platinum or the platinum alloy is 0.005 to 1 wt % in terms of the zirconium, tantalum, or niobium metal.

An object of the present invention is to achieve both high initial performance and durability performance of a fuel cell. Such object can be achieved by using a fuel cell electrode catalyst that includes a solid carbon carrier and an alloy of platinum and cobalt supported on the carrier

Provided is an electrode catalyst in which the contents of chlorine (Cl) species and bromine (Br) species are reduced to a predetermined level or lower, capable of exhibiting sufficient catalyst performance. The electrode catalyst has a core-shell structure including a support, a core part formed on the support and a shell part formed to cover at least a part of the surface of the core part. A concentration of bromine (Br) species of the electrode catalyst as measured by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy is 400 ppm or less, and a concentration of chlorine (Cl) species of the electrode catalyst as measured by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy is 900 ppm or less.

An electrocatalyst material having improved stability to corrosion compared to existing conductive high surface area carbon and metal carbide support materials is disclosed. The electrocatalyst material comprises (i) metal carbide nanotubes and (ii) a metal or metal alloy deposited on the metal carbide nanotubes. The electrocatalyst material is suitable for oxidising hydrogen, reducing oxygen or evolving hydrogen.

Catalyst material comprising nanoparticles dispersed within a metal oxide layer, the metal oxide layer comprises metal oxide comprising at least one metal cation, wherein the nanoparticles comprise Pt, wherein the nanoparticles comprise less than 10 atom % of oxygen, and wherein the metal oxide layer has an average thickness not greater than 50 nanometers. The catalyst material comprising nanoparticles dispersed within a metal oxide layer can be converted, for example, to nanoporous catalyst layer comprising nanoparticles fused together, wherein the nanoparticles comprise Pt, wherein the nanoparticles comprise less than 10 atom % of oxygen, and wherein the layer has an average thickness not greater than 50 nanometers. The nanoporous catalyst layer is useful, for example, in fuel cell membrane electrode assemblies.

In solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells, an oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst may be incorporated at the anode along with the primary hydrogen oxidation catalyst for purposes of tolerance to voltage reversal. Incorporating this OER catalyst in a layer at the interface between the anode's primary hydrogen oxidation anode catalyst and its gas diffusion layer can provide greatly improved tolerance to voltage reversal for a given amount of OER catalyst. Further, this improvement can be gained without sacrificing cell performance.

A catalytic material for a fuel cell comprising a catalyst supported on a catalyst support, wherein the catalyst support comprises a Period IV transition metal phosphide is disclosed. A membrane electrode assembly (MEA) and fuel cell stack comprising such a catalytic material are similarly disclosed.

Nanoporous oxygen reduction catalyst material comprising PtNiIr, the catalyst material preferably having the formula Pt.sub.xNi.sub.yIr.sub.z, wherein x is in a range from 26.6 to 47.8, y is in a range from 48.7 to 70, and z is in a range from 1 to 11.4. The nanoporous oxygen reduction catalyst material is useful, for example, in fuel cell membrane electrode assemblies.

A technology is provided that is capable of improving deterioration of a fuel cell due to non-stationary operation (startup/shutdown, fuel depletion). An anode-side catalyst composition comprising a catalyst having catalyst particles carried on electrically conductive material and an ion exchange resin, characterized in that the catalyst particle are formed of an alloy, of which oxygen reduction capability and water electrolysis are both lower than those of platinum, and which has hydrogen oxidation capability.