Described herein is a polymer-electrolyte-membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) that incorporates a shunt into the membrane separator that becomes electronically conductive around a well-defined anodic onset potential, thereby preventing excessive anodic potentials at the positive electrode that would otherwise drive deleterious parasitic reactions such as catalyst dissolution or catalyst and carbon oxidation.

Described herein is a polymer-electrolyte-membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) that incorporates a shunt into the membrane separator that becomes electronically conductive around a well-defined anodic onset potential, thereby preventing excessive anodic potentials at the positive electrode that would otherwise drive deleterious parasitic reactions such as catalyst dissolution or catalyst and carbon oxidation.

A membrane electrode assembly for the fuel cell includes a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, an anode catalyst layer assembled to one surface of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, and a cathode catalyst layer assembled to another surface of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane. The membrane electrode assembly contains cerium ions. The membrane electrode assembly includes a power-generation region and a non-power-generation region. The power-generation region includes the catalyst layers on both surfaces of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane in a center portion. The non-power-generation region is without the catalyst layer on at least one surface of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane in an outer periphery portion. A cerium ion content per area in the power-generation region is larger than a cerium ion content per area in the non-power-generation region.

An anion exchange membrane includes a porous structural framework and bismuth atoms bonded to pore surfaces of the porous structural framework. Each bismuth atom is bonded to a pore surface by way of one or two oxygen atoms.

Disclosed are an antioxidant for a fuel cell having a high degree of dispersion and/or distribution and excellent antioxidant capability and a membrane-electrode assembly including the same. The antioxidant includes a metal oxide and a sulfur-containing organic compound, for example, an organic compound including a sulfinic acid anion group (R—SO.sub.2.sup.−), adsorbed on the metal oxide.

Disclosed are an antioxidant for a fuel cell having a high degree of dispersion and/or distribution and excellent antioxidant capability and a membrane-electrode assembly including the same. The antioxidant includes a metal oxide and a sulfur-containing organic compound, for example, an organic compound including a sulfinic acid anion group (R—SO.sub.2.sup.−), adsorbed on the metal oxide.

A method for producing a liquid composition containing a fluoropolymer having sulfonic acid groups, trivalent cerium ions and water, by (1) irradiating a solution containing at least one cerium compound selected from cerium carbonate, cerium hydroxide and cerium oxide, the fluoropolymer and the water, with light at least partially in a wavelength region from 300 to 400 nm so that the ultraviolet irradiance on the surface of the solution is at least 0.1 mW/cm.sup.2 or (2) adding a reducing agent to a solution containing at least one cerium compound selected from cerium carbonate, cerium hydroxide and cerium oxide, the fluoropolymer and the water.

A method for producing a liquid composition containing a fluoropolymer having sulfonic acid groups, trivalent cerium ions and water, by (1) irradiating a solution containing at least one cerium compound selected from cerium carbonate, cerium hydroxide and cerium oxide, the fluoropolymer and the water, with light at least partially in a wavelength region from 300 to 400 nm so that the ultraviolet irradiance on the surface of the solution is at least 0.1 mW/cm.sup.2 or (2) adding a reducing agent to a solution containing at least one cerium compound selected from cerium carbonate, cerium hydroxide and cerium oxide, the fluoropolymer and the water.

An electrolyte membrane of a membrane-electrode assembly is formed by a manufacturing method yielding a membrane with improved chemical durability. The manufacturing method includes preparing an antioxidant solution, mixing the antioxidant solution and a first ionomer dispersion solution, drying the mixture to produce a composite having an antioxidant and a first ionomer surrounding the antioxidant, introducing and mixing the composite with a second ionomer dispersion solution, and applying that mixture to a substrate and drying the mixture to manufacture an electrolyte membrane. The resulting electrolyte membrane includes the composite having an antioxidant in an ionic state and a first ionomer surrounding the antioxidant.

A composite includes a fluorinated polymer and nanoparticles of a metal salt. The metal salt has a solubility product of not more than 1×10.sup.−4. The fluorinated polymer includes a fluorinated polymer backbone chain and a plurality of groups represented by formula —SO.sub.2X, in which each X is independently —NZH, —NZSO.sub.2(CF.sub.2).sub.1-6SO.sub.2X′, —NZ[SO.sub.2(CF.sub.2).sub.dSO.sub.2NZ].sub.1-10SO.sub.2(CF.sub.2).sub.dSO.sub.2X′ or —OZ, and Z is independently a hydrogen, an alkali-metal cation, or a quaternary ammonium cation, X′ is independently —NZH or —OZ, and each d is independently 1 to 6. A polymer electrolyte membrane, an electrode, and a membrane electrode assembly including the composite are also provided.