Patent ID: 7771858

Claim:
A device comprising an electrochemical conversion assembly, said electrochemical conversion assembly comprising a plurality of electrochemical conversion cells and a plurality of electrically conductive bipolar plates, wherein: said electrochemical conversion cells are configured to communicate with first and second reactant supplies; adjacent ones of said electrochemical conversion cells are separated by respective ones of said plurality of bipolar plates; said bipolar plates comprise an alloy comprising Fe and Cr; respective surface portions of said bipolar plates comprise graphitic layers characterized predominantly by sp 2 hybridized carbon-carbon bonding, wherein a thickness of said graphitic layers is less than about 10 μm; an underlayer formed on said bi-polar plate alloy between said bi-polar plate alloy and said graphitic layers, said underlayer comprising a metal and carbon, wherein a thickness of said underlayer is between 50 and 200 nm; and respective graphite layers of said bipolar plates are in contact with portions of said electrochemical conversion cells.