A fuel cell or electrochemical cell has a catalytic electrode and an electrically conductive contact element facing the electrode. The electrically conductive contact element conducts electrical current from the electrode and has a surface that includes a plurality of passivated regions and a plurality of non-passivated regions dispersed among the passivated regions. The surface is further coated with an electrically conductive, corrosion resistant coating. Methods include treating the electrically conductive contact element by passivation to resist corrosion while still maintaining electrical conductivity of the element.