Abstract: The present invention relates to a coated membrane containing: a membrane with a front and a rear face, a catalyst-containing coating which is provided on the front face of the membrane, the catalyst containing a support material which has a BET surface area of maximally 80 m2/g, an iridium-containing coating which is provided on the support material and contains an iridium oxide, an iridium hydroxide or an iridium hydroxide oxide or a mixture of at least two of these iridium compounds, wherein the catalyst contains iridium in a quantity of maximally 60 wt. %, and the coating provided on the membrane front face has an iridium content of maximally 0.4 mg iridium/cm2.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a barrier layer for corrosion protection in electrochemical devices, e.g. carbon based gas diffusion layers (GDLs) in electrochemical devices, comprising electrically conductive ceramic material and a non-ionomeric polymer binder. The electrically conductive ceramic material has an electrical conductivity of >0.1 S/cm, preferably >1 S/cm in air atmosphere (as detected by the powder method) and is selected from the group of precious metal and/or base metal containing oxides, carbides, nitrides, borides and mixtures and combinations thereof. Membrane-electrode assemblies (MEAs), catalyst-coated membranes (CCMs), gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) and gas diffusion layers (GDLs) comprising the barrier layer of the invention show improved corrosion resistance, preferably against carbon corrosion; particularly in start-up/shut-down cycles and fuel starvation situations of PEM fuel cells.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for preparing a catalyst coated membrane including the steps of: coating a substrate with a first catalyst dispersion thereby obtaining a first catalyst dispersion coated substrate, providing a second side of a membrane with a support film, coating a first side of the membrane with a second catalyst dispersion, thereby obtaining a second catalyst dispersion coated first side of the membrane, drying the first catalyst dispersion thereby obtaining a first catalyst coated substrate or drying the second catalyst dispersion coated first side of the membrane thereby obtaining a second catalyst coated first side of the membrane, laminating the first catalyst coated substrate to the second catalyst dispersion coated first side of the membrane or laminating the first catalyst dispersion coated substrate to the second catalyst coated first side of the membrane so that the first catalyst and the second catalyst superimpose, thereby forming a laminate including a membrane compri