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The ionomers distributed on carbon particles in the catalyst layer of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) govern electrical power via proton transport and oxygen permeation to active platinum. Thus, ionomer distribution is a key to PEFC performance. This distribution is characterized by ionomer adsorption and deposition onto carbon during the catalyst-ink coating process; however, the adsorbed and deposited ionomers cannot easily be distinguished in the catalyst layer. Therefore, we identified these two types of ionomers based on the positional correlation between the ionomer and carbon particles. The cross-correlation function for the catalyst layer was obtained by small-angle neutron scattering measurements with varying contrast. From fitting with a model for a fractal aggregate of polydisperse core–shell spheres, we determined the adsorbed-ionomer thickness on the carbon particle to be 51 Å and the deposited-ionomer amount for the total ionomer to be 50%. Our technique for ionomer differentiation can be used to optimally design PEFC catalyst layers.

We report a novel method for formation of sub-nanoclusters by laser ablation at the air-liquid interface. The density of plasma induced by laser ablation at the air-liquid interface should be lower than that produced by laser ablation in liquid. In the lower density plasma, the produced clusters rarely grow or aggregate into larger clusters because the collision probability is low, resulting in the formation of small clusters. Ag sub-nanoclusters were observed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). These results show that lowdensity plasma can be applied to small-cluster formation and that laser ablation at the air-liquid interface produces a good reactive field for the formation of sub-nanoclusters. Our results highlight the importance of low-density plasma induced at the air-liquid interface for sub-nanocluster formation.

The syntheses and characterization of two new porphyrin-based metal-organic frameworks (P-MOFs), through the complexation of 5,10,15,20-tetra-4-pyridyl-21 H,23 H-porphine (H2 TPyP) and copper(II) acetate (CuAcO) in the presence of the fullerenes C60 or C70 are reported. Complex 1 was synthesized in conjunction with C60 , and this reaction produced a two-dimensional (2D) porous structure with the composition CuAcO-CuTPyP⊃m-dichlorobenzene (m-DCB), in which C60 molecules were not intercalated. Complex 2 was synthesized in the presence of C70 , generating a three-dimensional (3D) porous structure, in which C70 was intercalated, with the composition CuAcO-CuTPyP⋅C70 ⊃m-DCB⋅CHCl3 . The structures of these materials were determined by X-ray diffraction to identify the supramolecular interactions that lead to 2D and 3D crystal packing motifs. When a combination of C60 and C70 was employed, C70 was found to be preferentially intercalated between the porphyrins.

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