Effect of heat-treatment on the activity of nickel phthalocyanine (NiPc) catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) was studied in both acid and alkaline electrolytes. The catalytic activity was found to depend strongly on the electrolyte and heat treatment temperature. High ORR activity was demonstrated on 40%NiPc/C electrode in 0.1M KOH solution, and the heat-treatment of 800oC is optimal for the catalyst synthesized. Further using rotating disk electrode (RDE) measurements and Koutechy-Levich analysis, the overall electron transfer number in the catalyzed ORR on 40%NiPc/C was found to be 2.8, suggesting the catalyzed ORR proceeds via both the 2e- transfer reduction and the 4e- transfer reduction.

A new type of chemically cross-linked polymer blend membranes consisting of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and quaterized hydroxyethylcellulose ethoxylate (QHECE) have been prepared and evaluated as OH--conducting polymer electrolytes. The OH--conductivity (s) of the membranes was investigated as a function of cross-linking time, blending composition and water uptake. Membrane swelling decreased with cross-linking time, accompanied by an improvement in mechanical properties and a small decrease in OH--conductivity due to the reduced water absorption. The OH--conductivities in the range of 2.7 ×10-4－1.52 ×10-3S cm-1were obtained at room temperature (19±2°C), depending on the polymer composition and the content of cross-linking agent. TG analysis showed that the membranes exhibited the thermal stability high up to 350°C when incorporating 75% QHECE. In addition, the membranes displayed a high alkaline stability without losing their integrity and OH--conductivity after conditioning in 6M KOH at 60°C for one week.