The present invention relates to a process for producing one or more electrical contacts on a component, comprising (a) applying one or more coatings on the component, where at least one of the coatings is a coating of an electrically conductive material, (b) applying a self-passivating metal or semiconductor and/or a dielectric material on the coated component, (c) structuring the passivating coating by laser treatment or etching, (d) contacting the structured coating with an electroplating bath, (e) etching the regions not covered with the galvanically deposited metal.

A method for prelithiating a soft carbon negative electrode includes the steps of: disposing the soft carbon negative electrode and a lithium metal piece spaced apart from each other with a lithium-containing electrolyte present therebetween; prelithiating the soft carbon negative electrode at a first constant C-rate until a voltage thereof is reduced to a first predetermined voltage not greater than 0.3 V vs. Li/Li.sup.+, the first constant C-rate being not greater than 5 C; prelithiating the soft carbon negative electrode at a second constant C-rate until the voltage thereof is reduced to a second predetermined voltage lower than the first predetermined voltage, the second constant C-rate being not greater than 0.2 C and being less than the first constant C-rate; and prelithiating the soft carbon negative electrode at a prelithiation constant voltage which is not greater than the second predetermined voltage, thereby completing prelithiation of the soft carbon negative electrode.

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.

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.

The present invention relates to a process for metallizing electrically nonconductive plastic surfaces of articles using the etching solution. The etching solution is based on a stabilized acidic permanganate solution. After the treatment with the etching solution, the articles can be metallized.

Fabrication of a high sensitivity potentiometric biosensor is described. The present inventors have developed and characterized a novel amplification platform using a gold nanoparticle (GNPs) electrodeposition method. The synthesized GNP sizes were found to be dependent of HAuCl.sub.4 concentration, media acid, scan cycles and scan rate. A systematic investigation into the adsorption of different sizes of proteins from aqueous electrolyte solution onto the electrodeposited GNPs surface by the potentiometric method was performed. Results suggest that the size of different proteins affect how they bond to different sizes of GNPs. This GNPs-based biosensor can retain the native-like structure of proteins, and successfully detect proteins at a high sensitivity level. The resulting glucose and immune biosensors also exhibit low detection limit and wide linear range. This improvement to potentiometric devices enables them to serve as highly sensitive detectors for biomolecules and provides a model that can be used to predict protein bonding on nanoparticles.

A container structure having one or more sections and a method for manufacturing such a structure is provided. Using an additive manufacturing process, a mold material is applied to produce a shaped substrate in the form of the desired sections and/or structure. Multiple reinforcement members are disposed within the substrate and extend between and are at least partially exposed at the inner and outer substrate surfaces. A coating material is applied to the inner and outer substrate surfaces and bonds to the exposed portions of the reinforcement members. The mold material is removed and replaced with another material among the reinforcement members between the substrate coatings.

The present disclosure is directed to a method of forming a conductive trace in a substrate. A pattern of the trace is formed in the substrate by a laser machining technique. The pattern of the trace is covered by palladium colloid. The palladium colloid is transferred to the patterned substrate by a laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) technique. The palladium colloid is converted to a palladium plating catalyst layer by a palladium acceleration process. The palladium plating catalyst layer provides a sufficient catalyst to grow a metal seeding layer by an electroless copper deposition technique. In addition, the palladium plating catalyst layer includes portions of tin material which increases adhesion of the metal seeding layer into the substrate. After growing the metal seeding layer, the pattern of the trace is filled by a copper layer through an electrochemical deposition technique.

The present disclosure is directed to a method of forming a conductive trace in a substrate. A pattern of the trace is formed in the substrate by a laser machining technique. The pattern of the trace is covered by palladium colloid. The palladium colloid is transferred to the patterned substrate by a laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) technique. The palladium colloid is converted to a palladium plating catalyst layer by a palladium acceleration process. The palladium plating catalyst layer provides a sufficient catalyst to grow a metal seeding layer by an electroless copper deposition technique. In addition, the palladium plating catalyst layer includes portions of tin material which increases adhesion of the metal seeding layer into the substrate. After growing the metal seeding layer, the pattern of the trace is filled by a copper layer through an electrochemical deposition technique.

According to one embodiment of a CO.sub.2 reduction catalyst of the present invention, a conductive material is immersed in an aqueous solution containing a gold source, and a current or a potential is applied, whereby a highly active CO.sub.2 reduction catalyst can be formed in a wide range portion on a surface of the conductive material. According to one embodiment of a CO.sub.2 reduction catalyst of the present invention, in a CO.sub.2 reduction reaction apparatus including a CO.sub.2 reduction electrode having the CO.sub.2 reduction catalyst, CO.sub.2 is reduced.