Abstract: A fuel cell catalyst material includes metal catalyst particles formed of a metal material and a carbon-based coating composition at least partially coating at least some of the metal catalyst particles. The carbon-based coating composition includes a carbon network. The carbon-based coating composition is doped with a dopant. The carbon-based coating composition includes a number of defects formed by one or more vacated carbon atoms in the carbon network.

Abstract: A sensor system includes a sensor and an optical source. The sensor has a receptor configured to bind to a chemical species. A spacer is bound to the receptor, and a fluorophore is bound to the spacer. The optical source is configured to irradiate the sensor to dissociate the chemical species from the receptor. The optical source can be infrared light, microwave or radio wave. The sensor system optionally includes a photodetector configured to determine an amount of the chemical species by measuring fluorescence when the optical source irradiates the sensor.

Abstract: A polyelemental catalyst structure. The structure includes a region formed of a first metal material, a first core region formed of a second metal material, and a second core region formed of a third metal material. The first core region has interfacial contact with the region. The second core region has interfacial contact with the first core region. The polyelemental catalyst structure includes platinum (Pt), a first metal MI, a second metal MII and a third metal MIII. The first metal MI is configured to enhance catalytic activity of Pt. The second metal MII is configured to enhance stability of the polyelemental catalyst structure. The third metal MIII is configured to enhance covalent bonding between Pt, the first metal MI, the second metal MII and/or the third metal MIII.

Abstract: Provided are chemosensor compounds of formula (I) useful for detecting an ion, such as Pb2+ in an aqueous sample. Also provided are chemosensor device including such compounds, and methods of use thereof.

Abstract: A fuel cell membrane electrode assembly including a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) and first and second electrodes. The PEM is situated between the first and second electrodes. The first electrode includes a first catalyst material layer including a first catalyst material and having first and second surfaces. The first electrode includes first and second material layers adjacent to the first and second surfaces, respectively, of the first catalyst material. The first material layer faces away from the PEM and the second material layer faces the PEM. The first material layer comprises a graphene-based material layer having a number of defects configured to mitigate dissolution of the first catalyst material through the first material layer.

Abstract: Fuel cell alloy bipolar plates. The alloys may be used as a coating or bulk material. The alloys and metallic glasses may be particularly suitable for proton-exchange membrane fuel cells because of they may exhibit reduced weights and/or better corrosion resistance. The alloys may include any of the following AlxCuyTiz, AlxFeyNiz, AlxMnyNiz, AlxNiyTiz, CuxFeyTiz, CuxNiyTiz, AlxFeySiz, AlxMnySiz, AlxNiySiz, NixSiyTiz, and CxFeySiz. The alloys or metallic glass may be doped with various dopants to improve glass forming ability, mechanical strength, ductility, electrical or thermal conductivities, hydrophobicity, and/or corrosion resistance.

Abstract: An anticorrosive, conductive material includes a first oxide having oxygen vacancies and a formula (I): MgTi2O5-? (I), where ? is any number between 0 and 3 optionally including a fractional part denoting the oxygen vacancies; and a second oxide having a formula (II): TiaOb (II), where 1<=a<=20 and 1<=b<=30, optionally including a fractional part, the first and second oxides of formulas (I) and (II) forming a polycrystalline matrix.

Abstract: A fuel cell catalyst system includes a catalyst and a catalyst support material binding the catalyst and including an anticorrosive, conductive material having oxygen vacancies and a formula (I): MgTi2O5-???(I), where ? is any number between 0 and 3 optionally including a fractional part denoting the oxygen vacancies, the material having an electronic conductivity of about 2-10 S/m at room temperature in an ambient environment.

Abstract: A hydrogen gas storage tank includes a body including a steel bulk region and a passivating metal oxide layer adjacent to the steel bulk region, the oxide layer comprising a number of metal oxide molecules, all having a morphology, wherein at least about 51 wt. % of the number of metal oxide molecules are Fe2O3 molecules having morphologies of (012), (001), and/or (110) surface facets such that the oxide layer is configured to lower hydrogen adsorption into the steel bulk region by at least 25% compared to a steel bulk region free from the passivating metal oxide layer.

Abstract: A method of forming a fuel cell catalyst system, the method includes providing an anticorrosive, conductive catalyst support material having oxygen vacancies and a formula (I): MgTi2O5-???(I), where ? is any number between 0 and 3 optionally including a fractional part denoting the oxygen vacancies, coating the catalyst support material with a polymeric film, attaching a catalyst material onto the polymeric film, removing the polymeric film, and providing additional material onto the support material to increase physical, electrical, and/or mechanical contact between the catalyst material and the catalyst support material.

Abstract: A fuel cell bipolar plate (BPP) includes a metal substrate having a bulk portion and a surface portion comprising an anticorrosive, conductive material having oxygen vacancies and a formula (I): MgTi2O5-???(I), where ? is any number between 0 and 3 optionally including a fractional part denoting the oxygen vacancies, the material having an electronic conductivity of about 2-10 S/m at room temperature in an ambient environment.

Abstract: A desalination battery includes a container configured to contain a saline water solution having a first concentration c1 of dissolved salts; first and second intercalation hosts, arranged to be in fluid communication with the saline water solution, at least the first intercalation host including expanded graphite having a plurality of graphene layers with an interlayer spacing between the graphene layers in z-direction greater than 0.34 nm; and a power source configured to supply electric current to the first and second intercalation hosts such that the first and second intercalation hosts reversibly store and release cations and anions from the saline water solution located between the plurality of graphene layers to generate a fresh water solution having a second concentration c2 of dissolved salts and a brine solution having a third concentration c3 of dissolved salts within the container such that c3>c1>c2.

Abstract: A proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The PEMFC includes a catalyst support material formed of a metal material reactive with H3O+, HF and/or SO? to form reaction products in which the metal material accounts for a stable molar percentage of the reaction products. The PEMFC further includes a catalyst supported on the catalyst support material.

Abstract: An electrolyte structure for a battery cell with a lithium metal anode has a first side configured to contact the anode and a second side facing opposite the first side. The electrolyte structure includes a first region that is adjacent to the first side and extends towards the second side and a second region disposed between the first region and the second side. The first region has a first composition of materials that is electronically insulating such that the electrolyte is stable against the lithium metal anode. The second region has a second composition of materials that is different than the first composition and has typical electrolyte properties such as mechanical strength, stability against a cathode, and ionic conductivity. The first region and the second region define a compositional gradient across a thickness of the electrolyte structure. The compositional gradient is continuum-fabricated at one point via a gradient growth method.

Abstract: A simulation includes converting a molecular dynamics snapshot of elements within a multi-element system into a graph with atoms as nodes of the graph; defining a matrix such that each column of the matrix represents a node in the graph; defining a distance matrix according to a set of relative positions of each of the atoms; iterating through the GTFF using an attention mechanism, operating on the matrix and augmented by incorporating the distance matrix, to pass hidden state from a current layer of the GTFF to a next layer of the GTFF; performing a combination over the columns of the matrix to produce a scalar molecular energy; making a backward pass through the GTFF, iteratively calculating derivatives at each of the layers of the GTFF to compute a prediction of force acting on each atom; and returning the prediction of the force acting on each atom.

Abstract: An intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell (IT-SOFC) includes an anode layer, an electrolyte adjacent to the anode layer, and a cathode layer adjacent to the electrolyte and including a material of formula (I) or (II): Sr2OsO4 (I) or Ba2MO4 (II), where M is a transition metal or post-transition metal.

Abstract: A fuel cell first and second electrode catalyst layers and a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) situated therebetween. A graphene-based material coated onto a first and/or second surface of the first and/or second electrode catalyst layers. The graphene-based material has a number of defects including a number of quad-vacancy (QV) defects formed by a vacancy of four adjacent carbon atoms in the graphene-based material. The number of QV defects are configured to mitigate dissolution of the first and/or second catalyst materials through the first and/or second surface of the first and/or second electrode catalyst layers.

Abstract: Corrosion-resistant oxide films for use with proton exchange membrane fuel cells are described. Bipolar plates of proton exchange membrane fuel cells are subject to highly-acidic environments that can degrade the bulk material and associated properties of the bipolar plate leading to reduced proton exchange membrane fuel cell lifetimes. Materials, structures, and techniques for increasing the corrosion resistance of bipolar plates are disclosed. Such materials include substrates having a surface portion, which includes an Fe2O3 oxide layer having (110), (012), or (100) Fe2O3 surface facets configured to impart corrosion-resistance properties to the substrate.

Abstract: A method of producing a coating. The method includes determining a surface defect region of a coating on a substrate and a location of the surface defect. The method further includes selectively and locally correcting the surface defect by applying a corrective coating region to the surface defect region based on the location of the surface defect via spatial atomic layer deposition (SALD) using an SALD reactor.

Abstract: A proton-exchange-membrane fuel cell bipolar plate includes a metal substrate having a bulk portion and a surface portion including an anticorrosive, conductive binary phosphide material having a formula (I): AxPy??(I), where A is an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, transition metal, post-transition metal, or metalloid, x, y is each a number independently selected from 1 to 15, and the binary phosphide material is configured to impart anticorrosive and conductive properties to the metal substrate.