TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Property: The active species phase has an average cluster size of 0.5-5, where at least 50% of the phase has a size of not more than 3 nm. The electrocatalyst particles have a surface area of at least 200, preferably at least 600 m2/g, an average particle size of not more than 10, preferably 1-10 microns, and porosity of at least 40%. They are substantially spherical. The primary carbon particles have an average size of 20-40 nm. The elongated strips of metal have an average width of not more than 100 microns. The current collector and the electrocatalyst layer have a combined average thickness of not more than 100 microns.Preferred Component: The active species phase comprises metal, platinum group metal, (transition) metal oxide, or manganese oxide. The primary support comprises carbon, preferably graphitic carbon. The carrier gas is air, preferably nitrogen. The first precursor comprises particulate carbon. The liquid precursor comprises a second precursor component. It also comprises a carbon precursor or platinum precursor. It further comprises graphitic carbon. The second precursor component comprises amorphous carbon. The current collector comprises elongate strips of metal.Preferred Composition: The electrocatalyst particles comprise 20-40 wt.% of the active species phase. At least 50 wt.% of the active species phase has a cluster size of not more than 3 nm.Preferred Method: The heating step comprises passing the droplets through a heating zone having a reaction temperature of not more than 400, preferably not more than 300 degreesC. The step of generating an aerosol comprises ultrasonically atomizing the liquid or passing the precursor liquid through a two-fluid nozzle.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - METALLURGY - Preferred Component: The metallic active species phase comprises a metal alloy.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Polymer: The polymer is fluorocarbon polymer, preferably tetrafluoroethylene fluorocarbon polymer.Preferred Component: The gas diffusion layer comprises a porous tetrafluoroethylene fluorocarbon polymer. EXAMPLE - The catalysts on a carbon support were prepared using the nickel and cobalt precursors with a GRAFO 1300 dispersion. Solutions of GRAFO 1300 were diluted with water and wt.% solids to prepare 10-20 wt.% nickel oxide - cobalt oxide (NiO-CoO) on carbon. The precursors were processed at 300 or 400 degreesC to form supported catalyst particles. The self-supported catalysts used the same nickel and cobalt precursors that were diluted with deionized water. The solution was ultrasonically generated using transducers and processed at 400-600 degreesC.    A silver phase was introduced into the catalyst particles to improve the conductivity of the catalyst. The self-supported electrocatalyst had advantageous performance in oxygen reduction. The superiority of the same electrocatalyst was more pronounced in the reaction of oxygen evolution. The electrocatalyst allowed evolution of the molecular oxygen at the lowest anodic potential.