TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The catalyst layer of the anode contains 0.05 - 5 mg/cm2 of platinum atoms per apparent surface area. The platinum-cobalt alloy contains platinum and cobalt in a molar ratio of 6:1 to 2:1. The carbon carrier has a specific surface area of 30 - 1000 m2/g.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - The ion exchange resin is a copolymer containing repeating units based on a perfluorovinyl compound of formula CF2=CF-(OCF2CFX)m-Op-(CF2)n-SO3H and repeating units based on tetrafluoroethylene. The terminals of the ion exchange resin are fluorinated.m=0 - 3;n=1 - 12;p=0 or 1;X=fluorine or trifluoromethyl. EXAMPLE - A commercially available catalyst (1 g) with platinum-cobalt alloy supported on carbon (molar ratio of platinum to cobalt 3:1) was mixed with distilled water (5.1 g). The resultant liquid mixture was mixed with liquid A having CF2=CF2/CF2=CFOCF2CF(CF3)O(CF2)2SO3H copolymer (5.6 g) dispersed in ethanol and having a solid content of 9 mass%. This mixture was homogenized to obtain coating fluid B for forming a catalyst layer. The coating fluid B was applied by a bar coater on a substrate film made of polypropylene and then dried for 30 minutes in dryer at 80degreesC to obtain catalyst layer B. Then, using, as a polymer electrolyte membrane, an ion exchange membrane with thickness of 50 microns, made of Flemion (RTM: perfluorocarbon polymer having sulfonic acid groups), the catalyst layer B was disposed on both sides of the membrane so that both the cathode and anode were constituted by the layer B, and the respective catalyst layers were transferred to the membrane by hot press method to prepare a membrane-catalyst layer assembly. The electrode area was 16 cm2. The obtained membrane-catalyst layer assembly was interposed between two gas diffusion layers made of carbon cloth to form membrane-electrode assembly, which was assembled into a cell for power generation, and then an open circuit voltage test (OCV test) was carried out as an accelerated test. Initially OCV was found to be 0.99 V, whereas after 100 hours was found to be 0.97 V. Initial hydrogen peak was found to be 700 parts per million (ppm), whereas after 100 hours, the hydrogen peak was 710 ppm. The results showed that using the platinum-cobalt alloy catalyst, deterioration of the electrolyte membrane was suppressed. The assembly was excellent in the durability even under high modification conditions.