Patent ID: 7344799

Claim:
A direct liquid-liquid fuel cell using a proton-donating fuel, comprising: a first compartment containing a proton-donating liquid fuel and having a first end with at least one input orifice and at least one output orifice disposed therein, and a second open end; an anode disposed adjacent to and in contact with the second open end of the first compartment, said anode comprising a porous and electrically conductive substrate having an ion-conducting polymer impregnated therein comprising a perfluorinated polymer containing sulfonic or carboxylic ionic functional groups, said anode being coated with a metal phthalocyanine electrocatalyst; a proton-conducting membrane disposed adjacent to and in contact with the anode; a cathode disposed adjacent to and in contact with the ion conducting membrane and electrically connected to the anode, said cathode comprising a conductive and porous substrate and a conductive, porous and inert binder of a polymer coated with a transition metal electrocatalyst comprising a metal phthalocyanine, said electrocatalyst being reactive with a proton accepting liquid in an electrochemical system under current flow, and unreactive with a proton accepting liquid under direct contact conditions without current flow; and a second compartment containing a proton-accepting liquid having a first end with at least one input orifice and at least one output orifice disposed therein, and a second open end disposed adjacent to and in contact with the cathode, said fuel cell having a supply of a proton-donating liquid flowably connected to an input orifice of the first compartment, for holding and supplying a proton-donating liquid to the first compartment, and a supply of a proton-accepting liquid flowably connected to the input orifice of the second compartment, for holding and supplying a proton-accepting liquid to the fuel cell.