TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ELECTRICAL POWER AND ENERGY - Preferred Component: The ion exchange membrane has opposite anode and cathode sides (13, 14), and where the gas diffusion layer and the porous metal coating are disposed on the anode and/or cathode sides. The gas diffusion layer has first and second portions (30, 40), and where the first portion has a porosity and the second portion has a porosity, which is greater than the first portion. It comprises a carbon fiber based sheet having a porosity, and where the outwardly facing surface has a topology, and where the porous metal coating conforms to the topology, and is deposited in 8-150 mg of the porous metal/cm2 of the surface area.Preferred Parameter: The porous metal coating is deposited in an amount, which causes the resulting gas diffusion layer to have an air impedance of 23-300 seconds gurley. The outwardly facing surface of the gas diffusion layer has a surface area (51), and where the porous metal coating comprises nickel and aluminum, which are deposited in 28-150 and 8-40 mg/cm2 of surface area, respectively. A contact resistance (84) is established between the current collector and the adjacent porous metal coating, and where the contact resistance is expressed in milliohms/cm2 of surface area, and the pressure applied by the current collector is expressed in pounds/inch2, and where the contact resistance and the pressure can each be mathematically expressed as a logarithm, and where the relationship of the logarithm of the contact resistance, and the logarithm of the pressure applied by the current collector is attributed by a line having a slope of 0--0.8. The contact resistance is constant and independent of the force applied by way of the current collector. It is constant when exposed to 3-300 pounds/inch2 by way of the current collector. During fuel cell operation, the membrane electrode diffusion layer assembly (11) produces a constant electrical current when exposed to 3-300 pounds/inch2 by way of the current collector.Preferred Property: The porous metal coating has an average thickness of 25-400 mum. The gas diffusion layer and metal coating have a combined air impedance of 23-300 seconds gurley.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Component: The porous metal coating comprises an alloy, oxide, nitride, or carbide.Preferred Material: The porous metal coating is from metals in the periodic table of elements having 13-74 atomic numbers. It is from metals or their alloys, oxides, nitrides, or carbides, which have a density of 2.0-19.0 g/cm3. It is from metals consisting of aluminum, titanium, nickel, iron, stainless steel, manganese, zinc, chromium, copper, zirconium, silver, or tungsten, or their alloys, nitrides, oxides, and carbides.