TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Properties: The zone thickness in the interfacial region of electrode membrane combination, is preferably 150-500 Angstrom. The membrane having thickness of 3-75 microns, preferably less than 30 microns and Gurley number greater than 10000 seconds, is air permeable and comprises microporous polymer impregnated with ionically conductive polymer or ion exchange resin, at the membrane-electrode interface. The catalytic loading of the combination is 0.8 mg/cm2 or less, preferably 0.6 mg/cm2 or less. The membrane-electrode assembly provides a poison resistance lambda parameter at 0.6 V of 0.65 or less, preferably 0.25 or less and current density of at least 350 mA/cm2, preferably 500 mA/cm2 when subjected to hydrogen feed with 5 ppm carbon monoxide (CO), and poison resistance of 0.85 or less, preferably 0.6 or less and current density of at least 150 mA/cm2, preferably at least 200 mA/cm2, when subjected to hydrogen feed with 50 ppm CO.Preferred Composition: The electrode comprises at least one ionically conductive polymer (which is optionally same as that of membrane), conductive carbon, solvent and at least one hydrophobic polymer binder for the carbon.Preferred Compounds: The microporous polymer is expanded polytetrafluoro ethylene and the ionically conductive polymer is perfluoro ionomer.Preferred Arrangement: The membrane electrode assembly which has enhanced resistance to poisoning, comprises solid polymer electrolyte layer sandwiched between two electrodes to form two membrane electrode interfacial regions. The solid polymer electrolyte layer is air permeable and has thickness less than 75 microns.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Materials: The amount of the metals (A) loaded in the porous electrode, is 0.02-0.5 mg/cm2 and zone loading of metals (B) is 0.001-0.7 mg/cm2, preferably less than 0.3 mg/cm2.Preferred Composition: The catalytically active metals (A and B) are same or different metals. The zone comprises multiple layers of at least four catalytically active metals (B) such as platinum and ruthenium which are at least partially alloyed with each other. The electrode-membrane combination further comprises at least one catalyzed gas diffusion medium. The electrode-membrane combination alternately comprises the electronically conductive electrode which is free of catalytically active metals (A), and the ionically conductive membrane.Preferred Method: The zone of interfacial region is vapor deposited by electron beam physical vapor deposition, ion beam assisted deposition, thermal deposition, cathode arc deposition, ion sputtering, jet vapor deposition or magnetron sputtering using multiple independent sputtering targets, and it comprises sequentially deposited zones of catalytic metals. The noble metal in the combination, is concentrated at electrode-membrane interface for fuel cell catalysis. The combination allows fuel cell reactant transport and is surface enriched with the ionically conductive polymer. The vapor deposited layer is disposed in the interfacial region and the metals in the layer are alloyed in situ as the metals are vapor deposited from separate sputtering targets. The layer is vapor deposited on electrode to provide enrichment, before formation of interfacial region between membrane and electrode. The zone is deposited in the membrane electrode assembly, by direct or indirect deposition on the assembly element which is membrane or electrode. The deposited zone is first deposited on a substrate and then transferred from the substrate to the assembly element.Preferred Arrangement: The electrode is catalyzed with vapor deposited zone consisting of at least two noble metals, to enhance poison resistance during fuel cell operation.