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.

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 method of manufacturing a membrane electrode assembly, includes: forming catalyst coated membrane using an electrode catalyst layer containing an ionomer having a sulfonic acid group and a catalyst carrier, and an electrolyte membrane; applying an ionization accelerator having a low molecular weight component represented by a chemical formula C.sub.lH.sub.mO.sub.n (where l, m, and n are natural numbers) for accelerating generation of sulfate ions, to the catalyst coated membrane; performing UV irradiation on the ionization accelerator applied to the catalyst coated membrane; heating the catalyst coated membrane having the ionization accelerator subjected to the UV irradiation; and bonding a gas diffusion layer containing a radical inhibiting substance to an outer surface of at least one of the ionization accelerator subjected to the UV irradiation or the catalyst coated membrane.

A double-layer anode structure on a pretreated porous metal substrate and a method for fabricating the same, for improving the redox stability and decreasing the anode polarization resistance of a SOFC. The anode structure includes: a porous metal substrate of high gas permeability; a first porous anode functional layer, formed on the porous metal substrate by a high-voltage high-enthalpy Ar—He—H.sub.2—N.sub.2 atmospheric-pressure plasma spraying process; and a second porous anode functional layer, formed on the first porous anode functional layer by a high-voltage high-enthalpy Ar—He—H.sub.2—N.sub.2 atmospheric-pressure plasma spraying and hydrogen reduction. The first porous anode functional layer is composed a redox stable perovskite, the second porous anode functional layer is composed of a nanostructured cermet. The first porous anode functional layer is also used to prevent the second porous anode functional layer from being diffused by the composition elements of the porous metal substrate.

The present invention refers to a method of treating a platinum-alloy catalyst, comprising the steps of: A) providing a platinum-alloy catalyst, which comprises platinum (Pt) and at least one metal (M), which is less noble than platinum; B) exposing the catalyst to an acidic or basic medium, and exposing the catalyst to an adsorptive gas, wherein during step B) the catalyst is not subjected to an external electrical current or voltage. Further, the invention refers to a treated platinum-alloy catalyst. Moreover, and a device for carrying out the method of treating the platinum-alloy catalyst is provided.

An illustrative example method of making a fuel cell component includes mixing a catalyst material with a hydrophobic binder in a solvent to establish a liquid mixture having at least some coagulation of the catalyst material and the hydrophobic binder. The liquid mixture is applied to at least one side of a porous gas diffusion layer. At least some of the solvent of the applied liquid mixture is removed from the porous gas diffusion layer. The catalyst material remaining on the porous gas diffusion layer is dried under pressure.

According to various aspects of the present disclosure, a catalyst for rechargeable energy storage devices having a first transition metal and a second transition metal, wherein the first and second transition metals are formed on carbon nanotubes, the carbon nanotubes are doped with nitrogen and phosphorous, wherein the carbon nanotubes have edges and interlayer spaces and are axially aligned, and the first and second transition metals form bimetal centers, wherein the bimetal centers may be uniformly distributed catalytic active sites located at the edges or the interlayer spaces of the carbon nanotubes providing intercalated layers. The present FeCo—NPCNTs are a morphology-dependent catalyst that provides effective performance for bifunctional oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction in metal-air-cells and fuel cells.

The present disclosure provides a catalyst product having particular three-dimensional plate-like shape and comprising catalyst nanoparticles and a method for manufacturing same. The present product may be useful in fuel cells or battery applications. In certain embodiments the present catalysts show good catalytic activity and durability even at low catalyst loads.

A method for manufacturing a miniaturized electrochemical cell and a miniaturized electrochemical cell is provided. The method includes the following steps: a) forming a colloidal template of colloidal particles made of an electrically insulating material, on a substrate made of an electrically conducting material, b) depositing by electrodeposition in the void spaces of the colloidal template, at least three alternating layers forming a repeating unit, the alternating layers being made of an electron conducting material or a semi -conducting material, the intermediate layer(s) being made of a material M.sub.3 different from materials M.sub.1 and M.sub.2 constituting respectively the upper and lower layers, the material M3 having a standard potential lower than the standard potentials of the materials M.sub.1 and M.sub.2, c) removal of the material M.sub.3 of intermediate layer(s), and d) removal of the colloidal particles of the upper and lower layers to obtain the desired electrodes.

A method of refurbishing a singulated fuel cell stack interconnect includes scanning a first pulsed laser beam on an air side of the interconnect to vaporize seal and corrosion barrier layer residue without vaporizing a metal oxide layer located on the air side of the interconnect below the corrosion barrier layer residue, and scanning a second pulsed laser beam which is different from the first pulsed laser beam on the exposed metal oxide layer on the air side of the interconnect to reflow the metal oxide layer without removing the metal oxide layer.