Polymer electrolyte fuel cell and production method of the same

Abstract

A polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising: a hydrogen ion-conductive polymer electrolyte membrane; an anode and a cathode with the electrolyte membrane interposed therebetween; an anode-side conductive separator having a gas flow channel for supply of a fuel gas to the anode; and a cathode-side conductive separator having a gas flow channel for supply of an oxidant gas to the cathode, wherein each of the anode and the cathode comprises at least a catalyst layer in contact with the electrolyte membrane and a gas diffusion layer in contact with the catalyst layer and the separator, and at least one of the anode and the cathode contains a compound represented by the formula (I): R 1 —O—{(C 2 H 4 O) n —(C 3 H 6 O) m }—R 2   (I) where R 1 and R 2 are independent of each other and each represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having not less than 5 and not more than 15 carbon atoms, n and m are integers which satisfy 0≦n≦5, 0≦m≦5 and 1≦n+m≦5, and when neither n nor m is 0, at least one of the ethylene oxide group and at least one of the propylene oxide group are arranged in a random fashion.

1 - 6 . (canceled)  
     
     
         7 . A polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising: 
 a hydrogen ion-conductive polymer electrolyte membrane;    an anode and a cathode with said electrolyte membrane interposed therebetween;    an anode-side conductive separator having a gas flow channel for supply of a fuel gas to said anode; and    a cathode-side conductive separator having a gas flow channel for supply of an oxidant gas to said cathode,    wherein each of said anode and said cathode comprises at least a catalyst layer in contact with said electrolyte membrane and    a gas diffusion layer in contact with said catalyst layer and said separator, and    at least one of said catalyst layers of said anode or cathode comprises at least one oxide containing at least one metal selected from the group consisting of silicon, titanium, aluminum, zirconium, magnesium and chromium in an amount of 1 to 10,000 ppm with respect to a total solid particulate material remaining in said catalyst layer of said anode or said cathode,    wherein said total solid particulate material comprises carbon particles carrying catalyst particles thereon and a hydrogen ion conductive polymer electrolyte.