Patent ID: 8158548

Claim:
A method for making anodic electrocatalysts configured to oxidize fuel and cathodic electrocatalysts configured to reduce oxygen for use in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells and direct methanol fuel cells and H 2 electrogenerators, the method comprising the step of synthesizing materials having a controlled metallic composition based on clusters of mono- and plurimetallic carbon nitrides supported on ceramic materials based on oxides, wherein the synthesizing step comprises the steps of: preparing a precursor; applying a suitable thermal treatment to the precursor; and activating the electrocatalysts, wherein the precursor is prepared through sol-gel reactions through steps comprising: generating a solution A, wherein solution A comprises an organic solvent (OS), an organic binder (OB) and at least one compound containing a transition metal coordinated by a halide including a selected one of chlorine, bromine and iodine, solution A including a molecule selected from a group of molecules consisting of HAuCl 4 , H 2 IrCl 6 , H 2 PtCl 6 , Li 2 PdCl 4 , (NH 4 ) 2 IrCl 6 , (NH 4 ) 2 OsCl 6 , (NH 4 ) 2 PdCl 4 , (NH 4 ) 2 PdCl 6 , (NH 4 ) 2 PtCl 4 , (NH 4 ) 2 PtCl 6 , (NH 4 ) 3 RhCl 6 , (NH 4 ) 2 RuCl 6 , KAuCl 4 , KPt(NH 3 )Cl 3 , K 2 PdCl 4 , K 2 PtCl 4 , K 2 PdCl 6 , K 2 PtCl 6 , K 2 ReCl 6 , K 2 RhCl 6 , K 2 H 2 IrCl 6 , K 2 H 2 OsCl 6 , K 3 IrCl 6 , K 3 H 3 RuCl 6 , Na 2 IrCl 6 , NaOsCl 6 , Na 2 PdCl 4 , Na 2 PtCl 6 , Na 3 RhCl 6 , CrCl 3 , IrCl 3 , FeCl 3 , NiCl 2 , OsCl 3 , PdCl 2 , PtCl 2 , PtCl 4 , RhCl 3 , RuCl 3 , ReCl 5 , SnCl 4 , VCl 3 , VCl 4 , WCl 4 , WCl 6 , and ZrCl 4 ; generating a solution B, wherein solution B comprises water, an organic binder (OB) and at least one complex of a transition element cyanometallate ligands selected from a group of compounds consisting of KAg(CN) 2 , KAu(CN) 2 , K 2 Ni(CN) 4 , K 2 Pd(CN) 4 , K 2 Pt(CN) 4 , K 3 Co(CN) 6 , K 3 Cr(CN) 6 , K 3 Fe(CN) 6 , K 3 Mn(CN) 6 , K 2 Pt(CN) 6 , and K 4 Ru(CN) 6 ; and mixing solution A and solution B.