Catalyst thin layer and method for fabricating the same

Abstract

The catalyst thin layer 11 consists of electronically conductive catalyst nano- particles 12 embedded in a polymeric matrix 13. The ratio number of catalyst atoms / total number of atoms in the catalyst layer 11 is comprised between 40 % and 90 %, more preferably between 50% and 60%.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to a thin catalyst layer and a method for its manufacture. The invention also relates to a fuel cell catalytic electrode comprising said catalyst thin layer. Background technique [0002] Thin layers of catalysts are used in many applications to facilitate reactions. For example, they can be used in energy systems such as catalyst combustion systems or in sensor systems such as glucose, hydrogen or oxygen detectors as well as in miniature systems such as micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEM), lab-on-chip (LabOn-chip) or microfluidic systems . Catalyst thin layers are more particularly used in the manufacture of catalytic electrodes for fuel cells. [0003] The basic structure of a fuel cell is schematically shown in FIG. 1 . The fuel cell comprises an electrolyte material 1 sandwiched between two electrodes such as a porous anode 2 and a porous cathode 3 . An electrochemical reaction takes place between the fuel gas ...

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Problems solved by technology

Also, access to the catalytic site can be difficult

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