The present invention provides a method of preparing a catalyst material, said catalyst material comprising a support material and an electrocatalyst dispersed on the support material; said method comprising the steps: i) providing a support material; then ii) 10 depositing a silicon oxide precursor on the support material; then iii) carrying out a heat treatment step to convert the silicon oxide precursor to silicon oxide; then iv) depositing said electrocatalyst or a precursor of said electrocatalyst on the support material; then v) removal of at least some of the silicon oxide.

A cathode configured for use within a fuel cell system is provided. The cathode includes a cathode substrate. The cathode further includes a coating disposed upon the cathode substrate and including a fluorocarbon polymer additive configured for sintering at a temperature of less than 200° C. The fluorocarbon polymer additive may be mixed with a catalyst ink coating or may be applied separately as a topcoat layer.

A catalyst structure includes: (1) a substrate; (2) a catalyst layer on the substrate; and (3) an adhesion layer disposed between the substrate and the catalyst layer. In some implementations, an average thickness of the adhesion layer is about 1 nm or less. In some implementations, a material of the catalyst layer at least partially extends into a region of the adhesion layer. In some implementations, the catalyst layer is characterized by a lattice strain imparted by the adhesion layer.

An energy conversion device for conversion of chemical energy into electricity. The energy conversion device has a first and second electrode. A substrate is present that has a porous semiconductor or dielectric layer placed thereover. The porous semiconductor or dielectric layer can be a nano-engineered structure. A porous catalyst material is placed on at least a portion of the porous semiconductor or dielectric layer such that at least some of the porous catalyst material enters the nano-engineered structure of the porous semiconductor or dielectric layer, thereby forming an intertwining region.

A layered cathode structure for a molten carbonate fuel cell is provided, along with methods of forming a layered cathode and operating a fuel cell including a layered cathode. The layered cathode can include at least a first cathode layer and a second cathode layer. The first cathode layer can correspond to a layer that is adjacent to the molten carbonate electrolyte during operation, while the second cathode layer can correspond to a layer that is adjacent to the cathode collector of the fuel cell. The first cathode layer can be formed by sintering a layer that includes a conventional precursor material for forming a cathode, such as nickel particles. The second cathode layer can be formed by sintering a layer that includes a mixture of particles of a conventional precursor material and 1.0 vol % to 30 vol % of particles of a lithium pore-forming compound. The resulting layered cathode structure can have an increased pore size adjacent to the cathode collector to facilitate diffusion of CO.sub.2 into the electrolyte interface, while also having a smaller pore size adjacent to the electrolyte to allow for improved electrical contact and/or reduced polarization at the interface between the electrolyte and the cathode.

A solid oxide electrochemical device comprises a solid electrolyte layer, the first surface and second surface having surface pores formed therein; a first composite electrolyte layer composed of metal and a solid electrolyte and having a first porosity; a second composite electrolyte layer composed of metal and the solid electrolyte and having the first porosity, the solid electrolyte layer sandwiched between the first composite electrolyte layer and the second composite electrolyte layer; a cathode on one of the first composite electrolyte layer and the second composite electrolyte layer; and an anode on another of the first composite electrolyte layer and the second composite electrolyte layer. The anode comprises an anode metal layer comprising pores; anode active material; and reforming catalyst, wherein the anode active material and the reforming catalyst line walls of the pores in the anode metal layer.

Disclosed are a membrane-electrode assembly capable of satisfying both of two requirements of excellent performance and high durability, and a fuel cell including same. The membrane-electrode assembly of the present invention comprises: a first electrode; a second electrode; and an electrolyte membrane between the first and second electrodes, wherein the first electrode includes a first segment having a first durability and a second segment having a second durability that differs from the first durability.

A fuel cell comprises an anode, a cathode, and a solid electrolyte layer disposed between the anode and the cathode. The cathode includes a main phase configured by a perovskite oxide including at least one of La or Sr at the A site and that is expressed by the general formula ABO.sub.3, and a secondary phase configured by strontium oxide. The occupied surface area ratio of the secondary phase in a cross section of the cathode is greater than or equal to 0.05% and less than or equal to 3%.

The present invention relates to a bio electrochemical system for the treatment of organic liquid wastes. The bio electrochemical system comprises a container; at least one tube shaped separator vertically disposed such that it penetrates the container; at least one anode disposed in the external space of the tube shaped separator; at least one cathode disposed in the interior space of the tube shaped separator; and at least one partition plate horizontally disposed such that it forms multistage horizontal flow channels for organic liquid wastes in the container.

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) includes a ceramic electrolyte having a thickness of 100 microns or less, an anode laminated to a first side of the electrolyte, and a cathode located on a second side of the electrolyte opposite to the first side.