A method of fabricating a nanoporous metal structure, such as a nanoporous metal (NMP) supported Pd catalyst suitable for use in a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), is includes the steps of (a) providing a piece of Au.sub.55Cu.sub.25Si.sub.20 alloy glass ribbon with a thickness of 50 m, (b) dealloying the piece of alloy glass ribbon by reacting with iron (III) chloride solution to form a free-standing NPM ribbon, (c) depositing a thin film of PdCo of a thickness of 100 nm on the NPM ribbon by RF magnetron sputtering with Pd.sub.0.5Co.sub.0.5 (atomic percent) as target in an argon atmosphere, and (d) electrochemically dissolving some of the Co on the thin film of PdCo to induce migration of Au from the NPM ribbon to the thin layer of PdCo.

An electrocatalyst is provided. The electrocatalyst includes Pd-containing metal nitride, wherein the metal is Co, Fe, Y, Lu, Sc, Ti, V, Cu, Ni, or a combination thereof. The molar ratio between the metal and Pd is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 0.8. A fuel cell utilizing the above electrocatalyst is further provided.

A catalyst is provided for the two electron reduction of oxygen. The catalyst can be reversible or near-reversible. The catalyst comprises a gold and a cobalt coordination complex, i.e., N,N-bis(salicylidene)ethylene-diaminocobalt (II) (cobalt salen) or a derivative thereof. The cobalt coordination complex can be polymerized to form a film, for example, via electropolymerization, to cover a gold surface. Also provided are metal-air batteries, fuel cells, and air electrodes that comprise the catalyst, as well as methods of using the catalyst, for example, to reduce oxygen and/or produce hydrogen peroxide.

An electrolyte membrane for a reformer-less fuel cell is provided. The electrolyte membrane is assembled with fuel and air manifolds to form the fuel cell. The fuel manifold receives an oxidizable fuel from a fuel supply in a gaseous, liquid, or slurry form. The air manifold receives air from an air supply. The electrolyte membrane conducts oxygen in an ionic superoxide form when the fuel cell is exposed to operating temperatures above the boiling point of water to electrochemically combine the oxygen with the fuel to produce electricity. The electrolyte membrane includes a porous electrically non-conductive substrate, an anode catalyst layer deposited along a fuel manifold side of the substrate, a cathode catalyst layer deposited along an air manifold side of the substrate, and an ionic liquid filling the substrate between the anode and cathode catalyst layers. Methods for manufacturing and operating the electrolyte membrane are also provided.

Nanoporous oxygen reduction catalyst material comprising PtNiIr. The nanoporous oxygen reduction catalyst material is useful, for example, in fuel cell membrane electrode assemblies.

An electrode catalyst for an Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) is provided that includes a transition metal nitride layer on a substrate, an ORR surface oxide layer deposited on the transition metal nitride layer, where the ORR surface oxide layer includes from sub-monolayer to 20 surface oxide monolayers.

A method of manufacturing a conductive electrolyte layer according to various embodiments of the present disclosure for achieving the objects is disclosed. The method includes loading a substrate into a sputter chamber, connecting a plurality of targets to the chamber, injecting a mixed gas into the chamber, supplying power to each of the plurality of targets and forming a conductive electrolyte layer on one surface of the substrate, and sintering the conductive electrolyte layer at a set sintering temperature.

Described herein is a method for manufacturing a catalytically-active membrane-electrode-assembly (20) with one or more, particularly two electrodes, the method comprising at least the steps of: i) depositing a heterogenous layer (3) on a substrate (5), the heterogeneous layer (3) comprising a base metal (1) and a noble metal (2) heterogeneously distributed in the heterogenous layer (3), ii) leaching of the base metal (1) out of the heterogeneous layer (3), such that a first self-supporting nanoporous catalyst layer (4) comprising the noble metal (2) is formed on the substrate (5), iii) adding of at least one kind of proton-conductive ionomers (40) and/or at least one kind of hydrophobic particles (41) and/or an ionic liquid (42) to the first self-supporting nanoporous catalyst layer (4), and iv) forming a catalytically-active membrane-electrode-assembly (20) by attaching the self-supporting nanoporous catalyst layer (4) to a first side of a membrane (10), such that a catalytically-active membrane-electrode-assembly (20) with one electrode is formed.

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.

Catalyst (100) comprising nanostructured elements (102) comprising microstructured whiskers (104) having an outer surface (105) at least partially covered by a catalyst material (106) 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. Catalysts described herein are useful, for example, in fuel cell membrane electrode assemblies.