Patent ID: 7351444

Claim:
A method of preparing a fuel cell element, said method comprising: providing a plurality of fibers and/or a porous electrode material; depositing a nanoparticle catalyst on said plurality of fibers and/or porous electrode material; forming nanoparticles on said plurality of fibers and/or porous electrode material using said nanoparticles catalyst; forming a catalytically active layer comprising a substantially continuous thin film on said nanoparticles thereby forming a fuel cell element comprising a plurality of fibers bearing nanoparticles partially or fully coated with a catalytically active thin film; wherein said thin film comprises an alloy having the formula: Pt x V y Co z Ni w wherein: x is greater than 0.06 and less than 1; y, z, and w are independently greater than zero and less than 1; and x+y+z+w=1.