PROCESS FOR PRODUCING NANOSTRUCTURED MANGANESE OXIDE HAVING DENDRITIC STRUCTURE AND OXYGEN REDUCTION ELECTRODE CONTAINING NANOSTRUCTURED TRANSITION METAL OXIDE HAVING DENDRITIC STRUCTURE

摘要

An oxygen reduction electrode having excellent oxygen reduction characteristics (oxygen reduction catalyst performance). Provided are: (1) a process for producing a nanostructured manganese oxide having a dendritic structure made up of aggregated primary particles, which comprises the steps of preparing a gas atmosphere which is a mixed gas comprising an inert gas and oxygen and has an oxygen proportion of 0.05 to 0.5% in terms of flow rate ratio by mass, irradiating a target plate comprising a manganese oxide with a laser light in the gas atmosphere to thereby cause the target plate to release constituent substances thereof, and depositing the released substances on a substrate disposed so as to face the target plate almost in parallel to thereby obtain the nanostructured manganese oxide having a dendritic structure; and (2) an oxygen reduction electrode containing a nanostructured transition metal oxide having a dendritic structure made up of aggregated primary particles.