Gas diffusion electrodes and process for production thereof

1. An oxygen-consuming electrode comprising (1) at least one carrier in the form of a flat structure, (2) a coating with a gas diffusion layer, and (3) a catalytically active component comprising silver, silver(I) oxide, silver(II) oxide, or mixtures thereof, wherein the oxygen-consuming electrode further comprises hydrophilic pores with an entry, and a finely divided hydrophilic component having a specific surface area in the range of from 8 to 12 m 2 /g, having a mean particle diameter in the range from 20 to 100 nm and in an amount of from 100 mg to 10 g/m 2 of electrode area, on a side which faces towards liquid or an ion exchanger membrane when in operation.

2. The oxygen-consuming electrode of claim 1 , wherein the finely divided hydrophilic component catalyses the reduction of oxygen.

3. The oxygen-consuming electrode of claim 1 , wherein the finely divided hydrophilic component is silver.

4. The oxygen-consuming electrode of claim 1 , wherein the finely divided hydrophilic component covers from 5 to 80% of the entry area of the hydrophilic pores in the oxygen-consuming electrode.

5. The oxygen-consuming electrode of claim 1 , wherein the oxygen-consuming electrode, apart from the finely divided hydrophilic component, comprises mixtures which contain, as a catalytically active component, from 70 to 95% by weight of silver oxide, from 0 to 15% by weight of silver metal, and from 3 to 15% by weight of an insoluble fluorinated polymer.

6. The oxygen-consuming electrode of claim 5 , wherein the silver oxide is silver(I) oxide and the insoluble fluorinated polymer is PTFE.

7. The oxygen-consuming electrode of claim 1 , wherein the oxygen-consuming electrode has, as a carrier element, an electrically conductive flat structure.

8. The oxygen-consuming electrode of claim 7 , wherein the electrically conductive flat structure is based on nickel or silver-coated nickel.

9. A fuel cell or a metal/air battery comprising the oxygen-consuming electrode of claim 1 .

10. The oxygen-consuming electrode of claim 1 , wherein the finely divided hydrophilic component having a mean particle diameter in the range from 40 to 80 nm.

11. The oxygen-consuming electrode of claim 1 , wherein the finely divided hydrophilic component having a mean particle diameter in the range from 50 to 70 nm.

12. The oxygen-consuming electrode of claim 1 , comprising the finely divided hydrophilic component in an amount of from 1 g to 5 g/m 2 of electrode area.

13. A process for producing the oxygen-consuming electrode of claim 1 , comprising (1) applying or spraying a finely divided, hydrophilic component in a suspension with a concentration of from 0.1 to 50% by weight to a flat base electrode comprising at least one carrier in the form of a flat structure, a coating with a gas diffusion layer, and a catalytically active component, and (2) subsequently removing the suspension medium by evaporation.

14. The process of claim 13 , wherein the suspension medium has a boiling point of from 50 to 150° C.

15. The process of claim 13 , wherein the suspension medium is an alcohol.

16. The process of claim 13 , wherein the amount of the finely divided component applied is 100 mg to 10 g per square meter of electrode area.

17. The process of claim 13 , wherein the base electrode used is a spent or leaky oxygen-consuming electrode.

18. The process of claim 13 , wherein the finely divided, hydrophilic component is in a suspension with a concentration of from 1 to 20% by weight.

19. The process of claim 13 , wherein the suspension medium has a boiling point of from 60 to 100° C.

20. The process of claim 13 , wherein the suspension medium is i-propanol.

21. The process of claim 13 , wherein the amount of the finely divided component applied is 1 to 5 g per square meter of electrode area.