TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Method: The portion is irradiated by exposing the surface to the laser radiation near an ablation threshold of the membrane, or by melting, boiling, or quenching part of the surface with laser radiation. The laser-irradiated surface is coated with a layer of conductive material. The layer of conductive material and the laser-irradiated surface is further coated with a continuous or discontinuous layer of catalytic material. The ion exchange surface is coated by, a layer of conductive material and a layer of catalytic material. The laser radiation is provided through a mask to generate shaded areas on the surface of the ion exchange system structure. The surface of ion exchange system structure is irradiated with laser radiation near an ablation threshold of a material being irradiated.Preferred Component: The solution comprises an electrolyte and a solvent. The electrolyte is a proton exchange membrane.Preferred Condition: The laser radiation produces a diffracted image.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Material: The conductive material is a metal or an alloy. The catalytic material comprises platinum, platinum alloys, vanadium, vanadium alloys, titanium dioxide, iron, nickel, lithium or gold. The catalytic material comprises platinum or platinum alloys.Preferred Structure: The ion exchange system structure may also be made of silicates.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Component: The electrolyte comprises sulfonated ion-conducting aromatic polymer, phosphonated ion-conducting aromatic polymer, carboxylated ion-conduction aromatic polymer, or perfluorinated co-polymer.Preferred Structure: The ion exchange system structure is made of polymers.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Solvent: The solvent comprises lower aliphatic alcohols and/or water.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Device: The source of laser radiation is a pulse laser, particularly a neon yttrium aluminum garnet or an excimer laser.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - CERAMICS AND GLASS - Preferred Structure: The ion exchange system structure may also be made of ceramics.