Electrochemical Cell With A Catalytic Electrode And Process For Making The Electrode And The Cell

A process for making a catalytic electrode, the process being a non-spray, non-thermal decomposition process comprising the steps:

• providing a nano-catalyst, comprising one or more transition metals, transition metal alloys or transition metal oxides;
• providing a particulate carbon;
• providing a binder material capable of binding particles of the carbon together;
• mixing in air the nano-catalyst, carbon and binder together in a liquid medium in which the nano-catalyst is essentially insoluble to form a catalytic mix, the mix comprising particles of the carbon with particles of the nano-catalyst adhered to internal and external surfaces of the carbon particles to form a catalytic mix, wherein the particles of the nano-catalyst comprise particles that are at least partially oxidized before mixing with the carbon and binder;
• forming the catalytic mix into a catalytic layer;
• and
• combining the catalytic layer with a current collector and a hydrophobic layer to form the catalytic electrode.