Abstract: An electrode for a redox flow battery, including a plate-shaped carbon electrode material, in which uniform consecutive macropores are formed in a three-dimensional network form and contact interface between carbon particles does not exist, in which: an average macropore diameter of the carbon electrode material is in a range of from 6 ?m to 35 ?m; an interplanar distance of (002) planes of a graphite crystallite in the carbon electrode material is in a range of from 0.33 nm to 0.40 nm; and a crystallite size of a graphite crystallite in a c-axis direction in the carbon electrode material is in a range of from 0.9 nm to 8.5 nm.

Abstract: There is provided a metal fine particle association suitably applied to an electrode catalyst to achieve even higher output leading to reduction in amount of the catalyst used, and a process for producing the same, that is, a metal fine particle association including a plurality of metal fine particles that have a mean particle diameter of 1 nm to 10 nm and are associated to form a single assembly, an association mixture including the metal fine particle association and a conductive support; a premix for forming an association, including metal fine particles, a metal fine particle dispersant made of a hyperbranched polymer, and a conductive support; and a method for producing the association mixture.

Abstract: A fuel cell equipped with at least an air electrode side power collector layer, an air electrode catalyst layer, a polymer electrolyte membrane, a fuel electrode catalyst layer and a fuel electrode side power collector layer and provided with a porous body layer having a porous body at a liquid fuel side of the fuel electrode side power collector layer assumes a structure in which the porous body layer is provided with a gas flow velocity (superficial velocity in the layer) of 10 to 5000 cm/s at a differential pressure of 100 kPa. The porous body layer is a diffusion medium of a fuel into the fuel electrode catalyst layer and a discharge resistor of gases comprising carbon dioxide and steam which are electrode reaction products and a vapor of the liquid fuel in progress of electrode reaction. An interface of the gases and a gases layer are also provided.

Abstract: There is provided a metal fine particle association suitably applied to an electrode catalyst to achieve even higher output leading to reduction in amount of the catalyst used, and a process for producing the same, that is, a metal fine particle association including a plurality of metal fine particles that have a mean particle diameter of 1 nm to 10 nm and are associated to form a single assembly, an association mixture including the metal fine particle association and a conductive support; a premix for forming an association, including metal fine particles, a metal fine particle dispersant made of a hyperbranched polymer, and a conductive support; and a method for producing the association mixture.

Abstract: A fuel cell equipped with at least an air electrode side power collector layer, an air electrode catalyst layer, a polymer electrolyte membrane, a fuel electrode catalyst layer and a fuel electrode side power collector layer and provided with a porous body layer having a porous body at a liquid fuel side of the fuel electrode side power collector layer assumes a structure in which the porous body layer is provided with a gas flow velocity (superficial velocity in the layer) of 10 to 5000 cm/s at a differential pressure of 100 kPa. The porous body layer is a diffusion medium of a fuel into the fuel electrode catalyst layer and a discharge resistor of gases comprising carbon dioxide and steam which are electrode reaction products and a vapor of the liquid fuel in progress of electrode reaction. An interface of the gases and a gases layer are also provided.

Abstract: A liquid crystal optical device comprising a porous structure having numerous through holes or blind holes between substrates with driving electrodes and liquid crystal filled in between the substrate makes it possible to readily and stably control orientation of liquid crystal molecules by applying an electric-voltage between the electrodes and ensure a sufficient optical length of the liquid crystal, thus to significantly improve the response speed of the liquid crystal.

Abstract: Provided is a fuel cell characterized in that a base material comprises a carbonaceous porous body having electrical conductivity in a part or the whole part and that a unit cell in which the respective layers of electrode/electrolyte/electrode are formed on the surface of the base material assumes a structure in which the base material is impregnated with liquid fuel (for example: methanol solution) and the surface of the electrode formed on the outside surface of the base material is exposed to air. The carbonaceous porous body having an electrical conductivity is allowed to have jointly functions as an electrode•collector, an impregnating medium for liquid fuel and oxidizing agent gas and a cell supporter, whereby a separator can be unneeded, and therefore a fuel cell which can reduce a size of a fuel cell system and which can exhibit a high output is provided by making use of the above unneeded space as a field for convecting and diffusing oxidizing agent gas or the liquid fuel.