Highly hydrophilized carrier, catalyst-supporting carrier, fuel-cell electrode, the manufacturing methods thereof, and polymer electrolyte fuel cell provided therewith

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a catalyst-supporting carrier composed of a catalyst-supporting carbon and a polyelectrolyte, and including a carbon having pores to support a catalyst, introducing a functional group functioning as a polymerization initiator to the surface and/or in the pores of the catalyst-supporting carbon, introducing an electrolyte monomer and thereby grafting it onto the catalyst supporting carbon carrier for polymerizing by radical polymerization, and hydrolyzing at least part of the polymerized polyelectrolyte by a strong alkali. By using this catalyst-supporting carrier, electrode reaction is effectively facilitated, and the fuel-cell electrical efficiency can be improved. Further, an electrode having excellent properties and a polymer electrolyte fuel cell provided with such electrode and capable of obtaining high cell output are provided.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.