MESOPOROUS CARBON AND MANUFACTURING METHOD OF THE SAME, AND POLYMER ELECTROLYTE FUEL CELL

Mesoporous carbon has a beaded structure in which primary particles with mesopores are linked. In the mesoporous carbon, an average primary particle size is 7 nm or more and 300 nm or less, a pore diameter is 2 nm or more and 10 nm or less, an average thickness of pore walls is 3 nm or more and 15 nm or less, a pore volume is 0.2 mL/g or more and 3.0 mL/g or less, and a tap density is 0.03 g/cmor more and 0.3 g/cmor less. In a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, the mesoporous carbon is used as a catalyst carrier for at least an air electrode catalyst layer. The mesoporous carbon can be obtained by impregnating mesoporous silica satisfying a predetermined condition with a carbon source, performing polymerization and carbonization, and removing a template.