Patent ID: 6866952

Claim:
A membrane electrode assembly for use in a direct oxidation fuel cell comprising: a barrier layer of material that is substantially protonically non-conductive and which is substantially impermeable to water and carbonaceous fuel; first and second protonically conductive membranes disposed, respectively, on opposite surfaces of said barrier layer; selected sites comprising openings providing passages through said barrier layer enabling protonically conductive contact through said passages between said first and second membranes, said passages being large enough relative to barrier layer thickness to enable the protonically conductive contact through said barrier layer, while said passages are small enough to substantially prevent the passage of liquid therethrough; first and second catalysts disposed, respectively, on the surfaces of said membranes which are not in contact with said barrier layer; and first and second diffusion material layers disposed, respectively, on the surfaces of said catalysts which are not in contact with said membranes.