Reinforced electrode assembly

1. A method of fabricating a reinforced membrane electrode assembly, the method comprising:

depositing an electrode ink onto a first substrate to form a first electrode layer, the electrode ink comprising a proton-transmissive ionomer and a catalyst, the proton-transmissive ionomer including an ionomer matrix with a plurality of electrically conductive support particles substantially evenly distributed throughout;

applying a first porous reinforcement layer on a surface of the first electrode layer to form a first catalyst coated substrate;

depositing a first ionomer solution including the proton-transmissive ionomer and an at least partially fluorinated polymer electrolyte onto the first catalyst coated substrate to form a first ionomer layer;

drying the first ionomer layer with the first ionomer solution; and

applying a membrane porous reinforcement layer on a surface of the first ionomer layer to form a reinforced membrane layer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises drying the first catalyst coated substrate.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises drying the reinforced membrane layer.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

drying the first catalyst coated substrate prior to depositing the first ionomer solution; and

drying the reinforced membrane layer after drying the first ionomer layer.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

depositing a second ionomer solution onto the membrane porous reinforcement layer to form a second ionomer layer, wherein the first ionomer layer, membrane porous reinforcement layer and second ionomer layer together form the reinforced membrane layer;

drying the reinforced membrane layer; and

joining the second ionomer layer of the reinforced membrane layer to an electrode layer of a second catalyst coated substrate to form the reinforced membrane electrode assembly.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the method further comprises forming an adhesive ionomer layer on the electrode layer of the second catalyst coated substrate, and wherein the second ionomer layer is joined to the second catalyst coated substrate such that the adhesive ionomer layer is located between and promotes adhesion between the second ionomer layer and the electrode layer of the second catalyst coated substrate.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

depositing a second ionomer solution onto an electrode layer of a second catalyst coated substrate to form a second ionomer layer on the electrode layer of the second catalyst coated substrate; and

joining the second ionomer layer to the reinforced membrane layer to form the reinforced membrane electrode assembly.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

joining the reinforced membrane layer to an electrode layer of a second catalyst coated substrate to form the reinforced membrane electrode assembly.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises forming an adhesive ionomer layer on the electrode layer of the second catalyst coated substrate, and wherein the reinforced membrane layer is joined to the second catalyst coated substrate such that the adhesive ionomer layer is located between and promotes adhesion between the reinforced membrane layer and the electrode layer of the second catalyst coated substrate.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises pretreating the membrane porous reinforcement layer with a surfactant solution comprising from about 0.2 to about 2 wt. % sulfonated perfluorocyclobutanes, perfluorosulfonic acid ionomers, or mixtures thereof, in a solvent, and drying the membrane porous reinforcement layer.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first substrate is a decal substrate, and the method further comprises transferring the electrode layer from the decal substrate to a gas diffusion layer without a microporous layer, a gas diffusion media with a microporous layer, or a free-standing microporous layer.