Patent ID: 8617770

Claim:
A method comprising: providing a polymer electrolyte membrane comprising a first face and a second face; providing a cathode electrode over the first face of the polymer electrolyte membrane, wherein the cathode electrode comprises an oxygen reduction reaction first catalyst supported on graphitized carbon and an Iridium oxide oxygen evolution reaction catalyst having the formula IrO x supported on graphitized carbon, where x has a numeric value between 0 (not including 0) and 2, and wherein the oxygen evolution catalyst is present in an amount ranging from about 0.1 wt % to 2 wt % of the oxygen reduction reaction first catalyst, and wherein the oxygen reduction reaction first catalyst and the oxygen evolution reaction catalyst of the cathode electrode are in the form of finely divided particles and the cathode electrode further comprises a proton conducting ionomer intermingled with at least the oxygen reduction reaction first catalyst particles, and wherein the ratio of the ionomer to graphitized carbon is between 0.6 and 2.0; providing a first microporous layer over the cathode electrode; providing first gas diffusion media layer over the first microporous layer; providing an anode electrode over the second face of the polymer electrolyte; providing a second microporous layer over the anode electrode; and providing a second gas diffusion media layer over the second microporous layer.