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Rauf S, Hanif MB, Tayyab Z, Veis M, Yousaf Shah MAK, Mushtaq N, Medvedev D, Tian Y, Xia C, Motola M, Zhu B. Alternative Strategy for Development of Dielectric Calcium Copper Titanate-Based Electrolytes for Low-Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells. NANO-MICRO LETTERS 2024; 17:13. [PMID: 39325255 PMCID: PMC11427654 DOI: 10.1007/s40820-024-01523-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 08/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/27/2024]
Abstract
The development of low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LT-SOFCs) is of significant importance for realizing the widespread application of SOFCs. This has stimulated a substantial materials research effort in developing high oxide-ion conductivity in the electrolyte layer of SOFCs. In this context, for the first time, a dielectric material, CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) is designed for LT-SOFCs electrolyte application in this study. Both individual CCTO and its heterostructure materials with a p-type Ni0.8Co0.15Al0.05LiO2-δ (NCAL) semiconductor are evaluated as alternative electrolytes in LT-SOFC at 450-550 °C. The single cell with the individual CCTO electrolyte exhibits a power output of approximately 263 mW cm-2 and an open-circuit voltage (OCV) of 0.95 V at 550 °C, while the cell with the CCTO-NCAL heterostructure electrolyte capably delivers an improved power output of approximately 605 mW cm-2 along with a higher OCV over 1.0 V, which indicates the introduction of high hole-conducting NCAL into the CCTO could enhance the cell performance rather than inducing any potential short-circuiting risk. It is found that these promising outcomes are due to the interplay of the dielectric material, its structure, and overall properties that led to improve electrochemical mechanism in CCTO-NCAL. Furthermore, density functional theory calculations provide the detailed information about the electronic and structural properties of the CCTO and NCAL and their heterostructure CCTO-NCAL. Our study thus provides a new approach for developing new advanced electrolytes for LT-SOFCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajid Rauf
- College of Mechatronics and Control Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People's Republic of China
| | - Muhammad Bilal Hanif
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University Bratislava, Ilkovicova, 684215, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Zuhra Tayyab
- College of Mechatronics and Control Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People's Republic of China
| | - Matej Veis
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University Bratislava, Ilkovicova, 684215, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - M A K Yousaf Shah
- Energy Storage Joint Research Center, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, People's Republic of China
| | - Naveed Mushtaq
- Energy Storage Joint Research Center, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, People's Republic of China
| | - Dmitry Medvedev
- Hydrogen Energy Laboratory, Ural Federal University, 620002, Ekaterinburg, Russia.
- Laboratory of Electrochemical Devices Based on Solid Oxide Proton Electrolytes, Institute of High Temperature Electrochemistry, 620066, Ekaterinburg, Russia.
| | - Yibin Tian
- College of Mechatronics and Control Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People's Republic of China.
| | - Chen Xia
- School of Microelectronics, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, People's Republic of China
| | - Martin Motola
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University Bratislava, Ilkovicova, 684215, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Bin Zhu
- Energy Storage Joint Research Center, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, People's Republic of China.
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Shah MAKY, Lu Y, Mushtaq N, Yousaf M, Rauf S, Akbar N, Arshad N, Irshad S, Zhu B. Semiconductor Heterostructure (SrFe 0.3TiO 3-ZnO) Electrolyte with High Proton Conductivity for Low-Temperature Ceramic Electrochemical Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:40086-40099. [PMID: 39020506 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c03605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, ceramic cells based on high proton conductivity have attracted much attention and can be employed for hydrogen production and electricity generation, especially at low temperatures. Nevertheless, attaining a high power output and durability is challenging, especially at low operational temperatures. In this regard, we design semiconductor heterostructure SFT-ZnO (SrFe0.3TiO3-ZnO) materials to function as an electrolyte for fuel cell and electrolysis applications. Using this approach, the functional semiconductor heterostructure can deliver a better power output and high ionic and proton conductivity at low operational temperatures. The prepared cell in fuel cell mode has demonstrated excellent performance of 700 mW cm-2 and proton performance of 540 mW cm-2 at the low temperature of 520 °C, suggesting dominant proton conduction. Further, the prepared cell delivers exceptional current densities of 1.18 and 0.38 A cm-2 (at 1.6 and 1.3 V, respectively) at 520 °C in the electrolysis mode. Our electrochemical cell is stable in fuel and electrolysis mode at a low temperature of 500 °C.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A K Yousaf Shah
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology/Energy Storage Joint Research Center, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, No. 2 Si Pai Lou, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Yuzheng Lu
- School of Electronic Engineering, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University, Nanjing 211171, China
| | - Naveed Mushtaq
- School of Physics, Electronics and Intelligent Manufacturing, Huaihua University, Huaihua, Hunan 418008, China
| | - Muhammad Yousaf
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Sajid Rauf
- College of Mechatronics and Control Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, P. R. China
| | - Nabeela Akbar
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology/Energy Storage Joint Research Center, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, No. 2 Si Pai Lou, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Naila Arshad
- College of Electronics and Information Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, China
| | - Sultan Irshad
- College of Electronics and Information Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, China
| | - Bin Zhu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology/Energy Storage Joint Research Center, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, No. 2 Si Pai Lou, Nanjing 210096, China
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Qu G, Akbar M, Jin B, Yang W, Wang X, Dong W, Afzal M, Wang H, Xia C. Enhancing the Performance of the p-n Heterostructure Electrolyte for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells via A-Site-Deficiency Engineering. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:49154-49169. [PMID: 37819802 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c10501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Semiconductor ionic electrolytes are attracting growing interest for developing low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LT-SOFCs). Our recent study has proposed a p-n heterostructure electrolyte based on perovskite oxide BaCo0.4Fe0.4Zr0.1Y0.1O3-δ (BCFZY) and ZnO, achieving promising fuel cell performance. Herein, to further improve the performance of the heterostructure electrolyte, an A-site-deficiency strategy is used to solely modify BCFZY for regulating the ionic conduction and catalytic activity of the heterostructure. Two new electrolytes, B0.9CFZY-ZnO and B0.8CFZY-ZnO, were developed and systematically studied. The results show that the two samples gain improved ionic conductivity and auxiliary catalytic activity after A-site deficiency as a result of the increment of the surface and interface oxygen vacancies. The single cells with B0.9CFZY-ZnO and B0.8CFZY-ZnO exhibit enhanced peak power outputs at 450-550 °C compared to the cell based on B1.0CFZY-ZnO (typically, 745 and 795 vs 542 mW cm-2 at 550 °C). Particular attention is paid to the impact of A-site deficiency on the interface energy band alignment between BxCFZY and ZnO, which suggests that the p-n heterojunction effect of BxCFZY-ZnO for charge carrier regulation can be tuned by A-site deficiency to enable high proton transport while avoiding fuel cell current leakage. This study thus confirms the feasibility of A-site-deficiency engineering to optimize the performance of the heterostructure electrolyte for developing LT-SOFCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Qu
- School of Microelectronics, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, P. R. China
| | - Muhammad Akbar
- School of Microelectronics, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, P. R. China
| | - Bin Jin
- School of Microelectronics, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, P. R. China
| | - Weiguang Yang
- School of Microelectronics, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, P. R. China
| | - Xunying Wang
- School of Microelectronics, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, P. R. China
- Hubei Yangtze Memory Laboratories, Wuhan 430205, China
| | - Wenjing Dong
- School of Microelectronics, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, P. R. China
- Hubei Yangtze Memory Laboratories, Wuhan 430205, China
| | - Muhammad Afzal
- Department of Energy Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm SE-10044, Sweden
| | - Hao Wang
- School of Microelectronics, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, P. R. China
- Hubei Yangtze Memory Laboratories, Wuhan 430205, China
| | - Chen Xia
- School of Microelectronics, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, P. R. China
- Hubei Yangtze Memory Laboratories, Wuhan 430205, China
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Shaheen N, Chen Z, Alomar M, Su T, Nong Y, Althubaiti N, Yousaf M, Lu Y, Liu Q. Enabling fast ionic transport in CeO 2-La 1-2xBa xBi xFeO 3 nanocomposite electrolyte for low temperature solid oxide fuel cell application. RSC Adv 2023; 13:20663-20673. [PMID: 37435385 PMCID: PMC10331923 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra01698f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies indicate that electrolyte ionic conductivity plays a pivotal role in reducing the operating temperature of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). In this regard, nanocomposite electrolytes have drawn significant attention owing to their enhanced ionic conductivity and fast ionic transport. In this study, we fabricated CeO2-La1-2xBaxBixFeO3 nanocomposites and tested them as a high-performance electrolyte for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LT-SOFCs). The prepared samples were characterized by their phase structure, surface, and interface property via transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), followed by being applied in SOFCs to examine their electrochemical performance. In the fuel cells, it was found that the optimal composition 90CeO2-10La1-2xBaxBixFeO3 electrolyte-based SOFC delivered a peak power density of 834 mW cm-2 along with an open circuit voltage (OCV) of 1.04 V at 550 °C. A comparative study revealed that the nanocomposite electrolyte exhibited a total conductivity of 0.11 S cm-1 at 550 °C. Moreover, the rectification curve manifested the formation of the Schottky junction, suppressing the electronic conduction. This study conclusively shows that the addition of La1-2xBaxBixFeO3 (LBBF) into ceria electrolyte is a viable approach for constructing high-performance electrolytes for LT-SOFCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nusrat Shaheen
- School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, State Key Laboratory of Featured Metal Materials and Life-cycle Safety for Composite Structures, Guangxi University Nanning 530004 PR China
- Key Laboratory of Disaster Prevention and Structural Safety of China Ministry of Education, School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Guangxi University Nanning 530004 China
| | - Zheng Chen
- School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, State Key Laboratory of Featured Metal Materials and Life-cycle Safety for Composite Structures, Guangxi University Nanning 530004 PR China
- Key Laboratory of Disaster Prevention and Structural Safety of China Ministry of Education, School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Guangxi University Nanning 530004 China
| | - Muneerah Alomar
- Department of Physics, College of Sciences, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University P. O. Box 84428 Riyadh 11671 Saudi Arabia
| | - Tao Su
- School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, State Key Laboratory of Featured Metal Materials and Life-cycle Safety for Composite Structures, Guangxi University Nanning 530004 PR China
- Key Laboratory of Disaster Prevention and Structural Safety of China Ministry of Education, School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Guangxi University Nanning 530004 China
| | - Yumei Nong
- School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, State Key Laboratory of Featured Metal Materials and Life-cycle Safety for Composite Structures, Guangxi University Nanning 530004 PR China
- Key Laboratory of Disaster Prevention and Structural Safety of China Ministry of Education, School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Guangxi University Nanning 530004 China
| | - Nada Althubaiti
- Department of Physics, College of Sciences, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University P. O. Box 84428 Riyadh 11671 Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammad Yousaf
- Energy Storage Joint Research Center, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University No. 2 Si Pai Lou Nanjing 210096 China
| | - Yuzheng Lu
- College of Electronic and Engineering, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University Nanjing 211171 China
| | - Qiang Liu
- College of Electronic and Engineering, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University Nanjing 211171 China
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5
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Dong Y, Mushtaq N, Shah MAKY, Yousaf M, Lu Y, Cao P, Ma Q, Deng C. Improved Ionic Transport Using a Novel Semiconductor Co 0.6Mn 0.4Fe 0.4Al 1.6O 4 and Its Heterostructure with Zinc Oxide for Electrolyte Membrane in LT-CFCs. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:1887. [PMID: 37368317 DOI: 10.3390/nano13121887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Improving the ionic conductivity and slow oxygen reduction electro-catalytic activity of reactions occurring at low operating temperature would do wonders for the widespread use of low-operating temperature ceramic fuel cells (LT-CFCs; 450-550 °C). In this work, we present a novel semiconductor heterostructure composite made of a spinel-like structure of Co0.6Mn0.4Fe0.4Al1.6O4 (CMFA) and ZnO, which functions as an effective electrolyte membrane for solid oxide fuel cells. For enhanced fuel cell performance at sub-optimal temperatures, the CMFA-ZnO heterostructure composite was developed. We have shown that a button-sized SOFC fueled by H2 and ambient air can provide 835 mW/cm2 of power and 2216 mA/cm2 of current at 550 °C, possibly functioning down to 450 °C. In addition, the oxygen vacancy formation energy and activation energy of the CMFA-ZnO heterostructure composite is lower than those of the individual CMFA and ZnO, facilitating ion transit. The improved ionic conduction of the CMFA-ZnO heterostructure composite was investigated using several transmission and spectroscopic measures, including X-ray diffraction, photoelectron, and UV-visible spectroscopy, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. These findings suggest that the heterostructure approach is practical for LT-SOFCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwang Dong
- School of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Naveed Mushtaq
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology/Energy Storage Joint Research Center, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, No. 2 Si Pai Lou, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Muhammad A K Yousaf Shah
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology/Energy Storage Joint Research Center, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, No. 2 Si Pai Lou, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Muhammad Yousaf
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology/Energy Storage Joint Research Center, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, No. 2 Si Pai Lou, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Yuzheng Lu
- College of Electronic Engineering, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University, Nanjing 211171, China
| | - Peng Cao
- School of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Qing Ma
- School of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Changhong Deng
- School of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
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Shah MY, Lund PD, Zhu B. Toward next-generation fuel cell materials. iScience 2023; 26:106869. [PMID: 37275521 PMCID: PMC10238940 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The fuel cell's three layers-anode/electrolyte/cathode-convert fuel's chemical energy into electricity. Electrolyte membranes determine fuel cell types. Solid-state and ceramic electrolyte SOFC/PCFC and polymer based PEMFC fuel cells dominate fuel cell research. We present a new fuel cell concept using next-generation ceramic nanocomposites made of semiconductor-ionic material combinations. A built-in electric field driving mechanism boosts ionic (O2- or H+ or both) conductivity in these materials. In a fuel cell device, non-doped ceria or its heterostructure might attain 1 Wcm-2 power density. We reviewed promising functional nanocomposites for that range. Ceria-based and multifunctional semiconductor-ionic electrolytes will be highlighted. Owing to their simplicity and abundant resources, these materials might be used to make fuel cells cheaper and more accessible.
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Affiliation(s)
- M.A.K. Yousaf Shah
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology/ Energy Storage Joint Research Center, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Peter D. Lund
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology/ Energy Storage Joint Research Center, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- New Energy Technologies Group, Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University School of Science, P. O. Box 15100, 00076 Aalto, Espoo, Finland
| | - Bin Zhu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology/ Energy Storage Joint Research Center, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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Huang L, Zhao S, Huang C, Lin WF, Wu Y. Cross-linked solid-liquid interfaces enable a fast proton transport in the aluminate heterostructure electrolyte. J Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 645:823-832. [PMID: 37172492 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.04.159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Having a highly-conductive protonic electrolyte is an essential requirement of developing solid ceramic fuel cell (SCFC) operated below 600 °C. Proton transport in solid electrolyte structure occurs via a bulk conduction mechanism in conventional SCFC, which may not be so efficient; therefore we have developed a fast proton conducting NaAlO2/LiAlO2 (NAO-LAO) heterostructure electrolyte, achieving the ionic conductivity of 0.23 S cm-1 thanks to its rich cross-linked solid-liquid interfaces; the SCFC employing this new developed electrolyte showed a maximum power density of 844 mW cm-2 at 550 °C, and the fuel cell could still operate at even lower temperatures down to 370 °C, although the output reduced to 90 mW cm-2. The proton-hydration liquid layer promoted the formation of cross-linked solid-liquid interfaces in the NAO-LAO electrolyte, which promoted the construction of solid-liquid hybrid proton transportation channels and effectively reduced polarization loss, leading to high proton conduction at even lower temperatures. This work provides an efficient design approach for developing enabling electrolytes with high proton conductivity for SCFCs to be operated at relatively lower temperatures (300-600 °C) than traditional solid oxide fuel cells which operate above 750 °C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liwen Huang
- Engineering Research Center of Nano-Geo Materials of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, 388, Lumo Road, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Shuang Zhao
- Engineering Research Center of Nano-Geo Materials of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, 388, Lumo Road, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Chen Huang
- Engineering Research Center of Nano-Geo Materials of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, 388, Lumo Road, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Wen-Feng Lin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3TU, United Kingdom
| | - Yan Wu
- Engineering Research Center of Nano-Geo Materials of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, 388, Lumo Road, Wuhan 430074, China.
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Zhang Y, Zhu D, Jia X, Liu J, Li X, Ouyang Y, Li Z, Gao X, Zhu C. Novel n-i CeO 2/a-Al 2O 3 Heterostructure Electrolyte Derived from the Insulator a-Al 2O 3 for Fuel Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:2419-2428. [PMID: 36583856 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c18240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Heterostructure technologies have been regarded as promising methods in the development of electrolytes with high ionic conductivity for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LT-SOFCs). Here, a novel semiconductor/insulator (n-i) heterostructure strategy has been proposed to develop composite electrolytes for LT-SOFCs based on CeO2 and the insulator amorphous alumina (a-Al2O3). The constructed CeO2/a-Al2O3 electrolyte exhibits an ionic conductivity of up to 0.127 S cm-1, and its fuel cell achieves a maximum power density (MPD) of 1017 mW cm-2 with an open-circuit voltage (OCV) of 1.14 V at 550 °C without the short-circuiting problem, suggesting that the introduction of a-Al2O3 can effectively suppress the electron conduction of CeO2. It is found that the potential energy barrier at the heterointerfaces caused by the ultrawide band gap of the insulator a-Al2O3 plays an important role in restraining electron conduction. Simultaneously, the thermoelectric effect of the insulator induces more oxygen vacancies because of interface charge compensation, which further promotes ionic transport and results in high ionic conductivity and fuel cell performance. This study presents a practical n-i heterostructure electrolyte design, and further research confirmed the advanced functionality of the CeO2/a-Al2O3 electrolyte. Our study may open frontiers in the field of developing high-efficiency electrolytes of LT-SOFCs using insulating materials such as amorphous alumina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingbo Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Semiconductor Photovoltaic Technology of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, School of Physical Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University, 235 West Daxue Street, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia010021, China
| | - Decai Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Semiconductor Photovoltaic Technology of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, School of Physical Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University, 235 West Daxue Street, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia010021, China
| | - Xin Jia
- Key Laboratory of Semiconductor Photovoltaic Technology of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, School of Physical Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University, 235 West Daxue Street, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia010021, China
| | - Jiamei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Semiconductor Photovoltaic Technology of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, School of Physical Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University, 235 West Daxue Street, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia010021, China
| | - Xinfang Li
- Key Laboratory of Semiconductor Photovoltaic Technology of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, School of Physical Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University, 235 West Daxue Street, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia010021, China
| | - YuZhao Ouyang
- Key Laboratory of Semiconductor Photovoltaic Technology of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, School of Physical Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University, 235 West Daxue Street, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia010021, China
| | - Ze Li
- Key Laboratory of Semiconductor Photovoltaic Technology of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, School of Physical Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University, 235 West Daxue Street, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia010021, China
| | - Xiaowei Gao
- Key Laboratory of Semiconductor Photovoltaic Technology of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, School of Physical Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University, 235 West Daxue Street, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia010021, China
| | - Chengjun Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Semiconductor Photovoltaic Technology of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, School of Physical Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University, 235 West Daxue Street, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia010021, China
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Xing Y, Zhu B, Hong L, Xia C, Wang B, Wu Y, Cai H, Rauf S, Huang J, Asghar MI, Yang Y, Lin WF. Designing High Interfacial Conduction beyond Bulk via Engineering the Semiconductor-Ionic Heterostructure CeO 2-δ/BaZr 0.8Y 0.2O 3 for Superior Proton Conductive Fuel Cell and Water Electrolysis Applications. ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS 2022; 5:15373-15384. [PMID: 36590881 PMCID: PMC9795487 DOI: 10.1021/acsaem.2c02995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Proton ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs) are an emerging clean energy technology; however, a key challenge persists in improving the electrolyte proton conductivity, e.g., around 10-3-10-2 S cm-1 at 600 °C for the well-known BaZr0.8Y0.2O3 (BZY), that is far below the required 0.1 S cm-1. Herein, we report an approach for tuning BZY from low bulk to high interfacial conduction by introducing a semiconductor CeO2-δ forming a semiconductor-ionic heterostructure CeO2-δ/BZY. The interfacial conduction was identified by a significantly higher conductivity obtained from the BZY grain boundary than that of the bulk and a further improvement from the CeO2-δ/BZY which achieved a remarkably high proton conductivity of 0.23 S cm-1. This enabled a high peak power of 845 mW cm-2 at 520 °C from a PCFC using the CeO2-δ/BZY as the electrolyte, in strong contrast to the BZY bulk conduction electrolyte with only 229 mW cm-2. Furthermore, the CeO2-δ/BZY fuel cell was operated under water electrolysis mode, exhibiting a very high current density output of 3.2 A cm-2 corresponding to a high H2 production rate, under 2.0 V at 520 °C. The band structure and a built-in-field-assisted proton transport mechanism have been proposed and explained. This work demonstrates an efficient way of tuning the electrolyte from low bulk to high interfacial proton conduction to attain sufficient conductivity required for PCFCs, electrolyzers, and other advanced electrochemical energy technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueming Xing
- Engineering
Research Center of Nano-Geo Materials of Ministry of Education, Faculty
of Materials Science and Chemistry, China
University of Geosciences, No. 388 Lumo Road, Wuhan430074, China
| | - Bin Zhu
- Engineering
Research Center of Nano-Geo Materials of Ministry of Education, Faculty
of Materials Science and Chemistry, China
University of Geosciences, No. 388 Lumo Road, Wuhan430074, China
- Jiangsu
Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology/
Energy Storage Joint Research Center, School of Energy & Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing210096, China
| | - Liang Hong
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, LeicestershireLE11 3TU, U.K.
| | - Chen Xia
- Hubei
Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Materials, Faculty
of Physics and Electronic Science, Hubei
University, Wuhan430062, China
| | - Baoyuan Wang
- Hubei
Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Materials, Faculty
of Physics and Electronic Science, Hubei
University, Wuhan430062, China
| | - Yan Wu
- Engineering
Research Center of Nano-Geo Materials of Ministry of Education, Faculty
of Materials Science and Chemistry, China
University of Geosciences, No. 388 Lumo Road, Wuhan430074, China
| | - Hongdong Cai
- Hubei
Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Materials, Faculty
of Physics and Electronic Science, Hubei
University, Wuhan430062, China
| | - Sajid Rauf
- College
of Electronics and Information Engineering, Shenzhen University, Nanshan, Guangdong Province518000, China
| | - Jianbing Huang
- State Key
Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an710049, China
| | - Muhammad Imran Asghar
- Hubei
Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Materials, Faculty
of Physics and Electronic Science, Hubei
University, Wuhan430062, China
- New
Energy Technologies Group, Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University School of Science, P. O. Box 15100, Aalto, FI-00076Espoo, Finland
| | - Yang Yang
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, LeicestershireLE11 3TU, U.K.
| | - Wen-Feng Lin
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, LeicestershireLE11 3TU, U.K.
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10
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Shah MAKY, Lu Y, Mushtaq N, Rauf S, Yousaf M, Zhu B. Surface and interfacial conduction using gadolinium-doped ceria electrolyte for advanced low temperature 400-500 °C fuel cell. Electrochim Acta 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2022.141592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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11
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Rauf S, Hanif MB, Mushtaq N, Tayyab Z, Ali N, Shah MAKY, Motola M, Saleem A, Asghar MI, Iqbal R, Yang C, Xu W. Modulating the Energy Band Structure of the Mg-Doped Sr 0.5Pr 0.5Fe 0.2Mg 0.2Ti 0.6O 3-δ Electrolyte with Boosted Ionic Conductivity and Electrochemical Performance for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:43067-43084. [PMID: 36121444 PMCID: PMC9523621 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c06565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Achieving fast ionic conductivity in the electrolyte at low operating temperatures while maintaining the stable and high electrochemical performance of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) is challenging. Herein, we propose a new type of electrolyte based on perovskite Sr0.5Pr0.5Fe0.4Ti0.6O3-δ for low-temperature SOFCs. The ionic conducting behavior of the electrolyte is modulated using Mg doping, and three different Sr0.5Pr0.5Fe0.4-xMgxTi0.6O3-δ (x = 0, 0.1, and 0.2) samples are prepared. The synthesized Sr0.5Pr0.5Fe0.2Mg0.2Ti0.6O3-δ (SPFMg0.2T) proved to be an optimal electrolyte material, exhibiting a high ionic conductivity of 0.133 S cm-1 along with an attractive fuel cell performance of 0.83 W cm-2 at 520 °C. We proved that a proper amount of Mg doping (20%) contributes to the creation of an adequate number of oxygen vacancies, which facilitates the fast transport of the oxide ions. Considering its rapid oxide ion transport, the prepared SPFMg0.2T presented heterostructure characteristics in the form of an insulating core and superionic conduction via surface layers. In addition, the effect of Mg doping is intensively investigated to tune the band structure for the transport of charged species. Meanwhile, the concept of energy band alignment is employed to interpret the working principle of the proposed electrolyte. Moreover, the density functional theory is utilized to determine the perovskite structures of SrTiO3-δ and Sr0.5Pr0.5Fe0.4-xMgxTi0.6O3-δ (x = 0, 0.1, and 0.2) and their electronic states. Further, the SPFMg0.2T with 20% Mg doping exhibited low dissociation energy, which ensures the fast and high ionic conduction in the electrolyte. Inclusively, Sr0.5Pr0.5Fe0.4Ti0.6O3-δ is a promising electrolyte for SOFCs, and its performance can be efficiently boosted via Mg doping to modulate the energy band structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajid Rauf
- College
of Electronics and Information Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province 518000, China
| | - Muhammad Bilal Hanif
- Department
of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava 84215, Slovakia
| | - Naveed Mushtaq
- Hubei
Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials,
Faculty of Physics and Electronic Science, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, P. R. China
- Energy
Storage Joint Research Center, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, No.2 Si Pai Lou, Nanjing 210096, P. R. China
| | - Zuhra Tayyab
- Hubei
Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials,
Faculty of Physics and Electronic Science, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, P. R. China
| | - Nasir Ali
- Zhejiang
Province Key Laboratory of Quantum Technology and Devices and Department
of Physics and State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, People’s
Republic of China
| | - M. A. K. Yousaf Shah
- Energy
Storage Joint Research Center, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, No.2 Si Pai Lou, Nanjing 210096, P. R. China
| | - Martin Motola
- Department
of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava 84215, Slovakia
| | - Adil Saleem
- College of
Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Muhammad Imran Asghar
- Hubei
Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials,
Faculty of Physics and Electronic Science, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, P. R. China
- New
Energy Technologies Group, Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University School of Science, Espoo FI-00076 Aalto, Finland
| | - Rashid Iqbal
- Institute
for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518060, China
| | - Changping Yang
- Hubei
Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials,
Faculty of Physics and Electronic Science, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, P. R. China
| | - Wei Xu
- College
of Electronics and Information Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province 518000, China
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12
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Novel LaFe2O4 spinel structure with a large oxygen reduction response towards protonic ceramic fuel cell cathode. J RARE EARTH 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jre.2022.04.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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13
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Wang F, Hu E, Wang J, Yu L, Hong S, Kim JS, Zhu B. Tuning La 2O 3 to high ionic conductivity by Ni-doping. Chem Commun (Camb) 2022; 58:4360-4363. [PMID: 35296873 DOI: 10.1039/d1cc07183a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Ni-doped La2O3 was developed as an ionic conducting membrane corresponding to a conductivity of 0.187 S cm-1 at 550 °C. A peak power density of 970 mW cm-2 with an open circuit voltage of 1.05 V was achieved using 10 mol% Ni-doped La2O3 (10NLO). XPS and Raman investigations reveal that the performance enhancement is due to the high concentration of oxygen vacancies. Density functional theory calculations verify that Ni doping can tune the band structure of La2O3 to enhance its electrochemical performance. A Schottky junction barrier is formed at the anode to avoid short circuit problems and facilitate the ionic transportation at the anode/electrolyte interface. This study indicates that wide-band gap semiconductors with suitable element-doping can be tuned to be promising ionic conductors for advanced fuel cell applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faze Wang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology, School of Energy & Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China.
| | - Enyi Hu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology, School of Energy & Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China.
| | - Jun Wang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology, School of Energy & Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China.
| | - Lei Yu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology, School of Energy & Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China. .,Nanjing SolarU Energy Saving Technology Co., Ltd, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Soonpa Hong
- Energy Safety Division, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Sejong-Si, 30118, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Sik Kim
- Department of Aero & Auto Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, UK.
| | - Bin Zhu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology, School of Energy & Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China. .,Department of Aero & Auto Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, UK.
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14
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Lu Y, Yousaf Shah MAK, Mushtaq N, Yousaf M, Lund PD, Zhu B, Asghar MI. A-site deficient semiconductor electrolyte Sr 1−xCo xFeO 3−δ for low-temperature (450–550 °C) solid oxide fuel cells. RSC Adv 2022; 12:24480-24490. [PMID: 36128392 PMCID: PMC9426435 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra03823d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Fast ionic conduction at low operating temperatures is a key factor for the high electrochemical performance of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Here an A-site deficient semiconductor electrolyte Sr1−xCoxFeO3−δ is proposed for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LT-SOFCs). A fuel cell with a structure of Ni/NCAL-Sr0.7Co0.3FeO3−δ–NCAL/Ni reached a promising performance of 771 mW cm−2 at 550 °C. Moreover, appropriate doping of cobalt at the A-site resulted in enhanced charge carrier transportation yielding an ionic conductivity of >0.1 S cm−1 at 550 °C. A high OCV of 1.05 V confirmed that neither short-circuiting nor power loss occurred during the operation of the prepared SOFC device. A modified composition of Sr0.5Co0.5FeO3−δ and Sr0.3Co0.7FeO3−δ also reached good fuel cell performance of 542 and 345 mW cm−2, respectively. The energy bandgap analysis confirmed optimal cobalt doping into the A-site of the prepared perovskite structure improved the charge transportation effect. Moreover, XPS spectra showed how the Co-doping into the A-site enhanced O-vacancies, which improve the transport of oxide ions. The present work shows that Sr0.7Co0.3FeO3−δ is a promising electrolyte for LT-SOFCs. Its performance can be boosted with Co-doping to tune the energy band structure. Fast ionic conduction at low operating temperatures is a key factor for the high electrochemical performance of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs).![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzheng Lu
- School of Electronic Engineering, Nanjing Xiao Zhuang University, 211171 Nanjing, China
| | - M. A. K. Yousaf Shah
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology/Energy Storage Joint Research Center, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, No. 2 Si Pai Lou, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Naveed Mushtaq
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology/Energy Storage Joint Research Center, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, No. 2 Si Pai Lou, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Muhammad Yousaf
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology/Energy Storage Joint Research Center, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, No. 2 Si Pai Lou, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Peter D. Lund
- New Energy Technologies Group, Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University School of Science, P. O. Box 15100, FI-00076 Aalto, Espoo, Finland
| | - Bin Zhu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology/Energy Storage Joint Research Center, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, No. 2 Si Pai Lou, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Muhammad Imran Asghar
- New Energy Technologies Group, Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University School of Science, P. O. Box 15100, FI-00076 Aalto, Espoo, Finland
- Faculty of Physics and Electronic Science, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430062, China
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15
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Abstract
AbstractSemiconductors and the associated methodologies applied to electrochemistry have recently grown as an emerging field in energy materials and technologies. For example, semiconductor membranes and heterostructure fuel cells are new technological trend, which differ from the traditional fuel cell electrochemistry principle employing three basic functional components: anode, electrolyte, and cathode. The electrolyte is key to the device performance by providing an ionic charge flow pathway between the anode and cathode while preventing electron passage. In contrast, semiconductors and derived heterostructures with electron (hole) conducting materials have demonstrated to be much better ionic conductors than the conventional ionic electrolytes. The energy band structure and alignment, band bending and built-in electric field are all important elements in this context to realize the necessary fuel cell functionalities. This review further extends to semiconductor-based electrochemical energy conversion and storage, describing their fundamentals and working principles, with the intention of advancing the understanding of the roles of semiconductors and energy bands in electrochemical devices for energy conversion and storage, as well as applications to meet emerging demands widely involved in energy applications, such as photocatalysis/water splitting devices, batteries and solar cells. This review provides new ideas and new solutions to problems beyond the conventional electrochemistry and presents new interdisciplinary approaches to develop clean energy conversion and storage technologies.
Graphic Abstract
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16
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Self-Assembled Triple (H +/O 2-/e -) Conducting Nanocomposite of Ba-Co-Ce-Y-O into an Electrolyte for Semiconductor Ionic Fuel Cells. NANOMATERIALS 2021; 11:nano11092365. [PMID: 34578680 PMCID: PMC8472293 DOI: 10.3390/nano11092365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Triple (H+/O2-/e-) conducting oxides (TCOs) have been extensively investigated as the most promising cathode materials for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) because of their excellent catalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and fast proton transport. However, here we report a stable twin-perovskite nanocomposite Ba-Co-Ce-Y-O (BCCY) with triple conducting properties as a conducting accelerator in semiconductor ionic fuel cells (SIFCs) electrolytes. Self-assembled BCCY nanocomposite is prepared through a complexing sol-gel process. The composite consists of a cubic perovskite (Pm-3m) phase of BaCo0.9Ce0.01Y0.09O3-δ and a rhombohedral perovskite (R-3c) phase of BaCe0.78Y0.22O3-δ. A new semiconducting-ionic conducting composite electrolyte is prepared for SIFCs by the combination of BCCY and CeO2 (BCCY-CeO2). The fuel cell with the prepared electrolyte (400 μm in thickness) can deliver a remarkable peak power density of 1140 mW·cm-2 with a high open circuit voltage (OCV) of 1.15 V at 550 °C. The interface band energy alignment is employed to explain the suppression of electronic conduction in the electrolyte. The hybrid H+/O2- ions transport along the surfaces or grain boundaries is identified as a new way of ion conduction. The comprehensive analysis of the electrochemical properties indicates that BCCY can be applied in electrolyte, and has shown tremendous potential to improve ionic conductivity and electrochemical performance.
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17
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Recent Progress in Semiconductor-Ionic Conductor Nanomaterial as a Membrane for Low-Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells. NANOMATERIALS 2021; 11:nano11092290. [PMID: 34578606 PMCID: PMC8465349 DOI: 10.3390/nano11092290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Reducing the operating temperature of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) to 300–600 °C is a great challenge for the development of SOFC. Among the extensive research and development (R&D) efforts that have been done on lowering the operating temperature of SOFCs, nanomaterials have played a critical role in improving ion transportation in electrolytes and facilitating electrochemical catalyzation of the electrodes. This work reviews recent progress in lowering the temperature of SOFCs by using semiconductor-ionic conductor nanomaterial, which is typically a composition of semiconductor and ionic conductor, as a membrane. The historical development, as well as the working mechanism of semiconductor-ionic membrane fuel cell (SIMFC), is discussed. Besides, the development in the application of nanostructured pure ionic conductors, semiconductors, and nanocomposites of semiconductors and ionic conductors as the membrane is highlighted. The method of using nano-structured semiconductor-ionic conductors as a membrane has been proved to successfully exhibit a significant enhancement in the ionic conductivity and power density of SOFCs at low temperatures and provides a new way to develop low-temperature SOFCs.
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18
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Li J, Xie J, Li D, Yu L, Xu C, Yan S, Lu Y. An Interface Heterostructure of NiO and CeO 2 for Using Electrolytes of Low-Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 11:2004. [PMID: 34443835 PMCID: PMC8401789 DOI: 10.3390/nano11082004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Interface engineering can be used to tune the properties of heterostructure materials at an atomic level, yielding exceptional final physical properties. In this work, we synthesized a heterostructure of a p-type semiconductor (NiO) and an n-type semiconductor (CeO2) for solid oxide fuel cell electrolytes. The CeO2-NiO heterostructure exhibited high ionic conductivity of 0.2 S cm-1 at 530 °C, which was further improved to 0.29 S cm-1 by the introduction of Na+ ions. When it was applied in the fuel cell, an excellent power density of 571 mW cm-1 was obtained, indicating that the CeO2-NiO heterostructure can provide favorable electrolyte functionality. The prepared CeO2-NiO heterostructures possessed both proton and oxygen ionic conductivities, with oxygen ionic conductivity dominating the fuel cell reaction. Further investigations in terms of electrical conductivity and electrode polarization, a proton and oxygen ionic co-conducting mechanism, and a mechanism for blocking electron transport showed that the reconstruction of the energy band at the interfaces was responsible for the enhanced ionic conductivity and cell power output. This work presents a new methodology and scientific understanding of semiconductor-based heterostructures for advanced ceramic fuel cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjiao Li
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Nanjing Vocational Institute of Mechatronic Technology, Nanjing 211306, China;
| | - Jun Xie
- School of Electronic Engineering, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University, Nanjing 211171, China; (J.X.); (C.X.); (S.Y.)
| | - Dongchen Li
- Department of Electrical and Automation, Shandong Labor Vocational and Technical College, Jinan 250022, China;
| | - Lei Yu
- Nanjing SolarU Energy Saving Technology Co., Ltd., Nanjing 210028, China;
| | - Chaowei Xu
- School of Electronic Engineering, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University, Nanjing 211171, China; (J.X.); (C.X.); (S.Y.)
| | - Senlin Yan
- School of Electronic Engineering, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University, Nanjing 211171, China; (J.X.); (C.X.); (S.Y.)
| | - Yuzheng Lu
- School of Electronic Engineering, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University, Nanjing 211171, China; (J.X.); (C.X.); (S.Y.)
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19
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Yang F, Zhang Y, Liu J, Yousaf M, Yang X. Standardized Procedures Important for Improving Low-Temperature Ceramic Fuel Cell Technology: From Transient to Steady State Assessment. NANOMATERIALS 2021; 11:nano11081923. [PMID: 34443752 PMCID: PMC8399102 DOI: 10.3390/nano11081923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
As the stress–strain curve of standardized metal samples provides the basic details about mechanical properties of structural materials, the polarization curve or current–voltage characteristics of fuel cells are vitally important to explore the scientific mechanism of various solid oxide cells aiming at low operational temperatures (below 600 °C), ranging from protonic conductor ceramic cells (PCFC) to emerging Semiconductor ionic fuel cell (SIFC)/Semiconductor membrane fuel cells (SMFC). Thus far, worldwide efforts to achieve higher nominal peak power density (PPD) at a low operational temperature of over 0.1 s/cm ionic conductivity of electrolyte and super catalyst electrode is the key challenge for SIFCs. Thus, we illustrate an alternative approach to the present PPD concept and current–voltage characteristic. Case studies reveal that the holy grail of 1 W/cm2 from journal publications is expected to be reconsidered and normalized, since partial cells may still remain in a transient state (TS) to some extent, which means that they are unable to fulfill the prerequisite of a steady state (SS) characteristic of polarization curve measurement. Depending on the testing parameters, the reported PPD value can arbitrarily exist between higher transient power density (TPD) and lower stable power density (SPD). Herein, a standardized procedure has been proposed by modifying a quasi-steady state (QSS) characterization based on stabilized cell and time-prolonged measurements of common I–V plots. The present study indicates, when compared with steady state value, that QSS power density itself still provides a better approximation for the real performance of fuel cells, and concurrently recalls a novel paradigm transformation from a transient to steady state perspective in the oxide solid fuel cell community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Yang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology, School of Energy & Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China; (Y.Z.); (J.L.); (M.Y.); (X.Y.)
- Key Laboratory of Energy Thermal Conversion and Control of Ministry of Education, School of Energy & Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
- Correspondence: or
| | - Yifei Zhang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology, School of Energy & Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China; (Y.Z.); (J.L.); (M.Y.); (X.Y.)
| | - Jingjing Liu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology, School of Energy & Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China; (Y.Z.); (J.L.); (M.Y.); (X.Y.)
| | - Muhammad Yousaf
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology, School of Energy & Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China; (Y.Z.); (J.L.); (M.Y.); (X.Y.)
| | - Xinlei Yang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology, School of Energy & Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China; (Y.Z.); (J.L.); (M.Y.); (X.Y.)
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20
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Das P, Mukherjee D, Mandal B, Gumma S. Engineering of Interfacial Energy Bands for Synthesis of Photoluminescent 0D/2D Coupled MOF Heterostructure with Enhanced Selectivity toward the Proton-Exchange Membrane. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:29619-29630. [PMID: 34110764 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c06152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Engineering of the interface for tuning the structural, functional, and electronic properties of materials via the formation of heterostructure composites exhibits immense potential in the current research scenario. This study reports a novel ternary composite synthesized by decoration of zero-dimensional Pd nanoparticles (NPs) and two-dimensional (2D) graphite oxide (GO) sheets in the UiO-66 metal-organic framework (MOF). A mixed matrix membrane was fabricated by incorporating this composite in the SPEEK polymer matrix, which exhibited higher selectivity compared to commercial Nafion 117. The synthesized composite and fabricated membranes were thoroughly characterized in terms of their chemical structures, microstructural morphologies, physicochemical, thermal, photo-electrochemical, and optical properties, ion-exchange capacity, proton conductivity, and methanol permeability. As per our knowledge, this is the first study which explores the effect of noble metal NPs and carbon 2D material simultaneously on the electronic structure of the MOF, resulting in improved selectivity. The electron-accepting nature of GO and surface plasmon resonance effect of Pd alter the energy band positions and scavenge the electrons, improving the proton conduction of the composite. The introduction of oxygen vacancies in lattice leads to efficient charge separation. The formation of a Schottky junction results in the localized electric field effect due to electron density fluctuation which aids in ion transport. The current study opens up a new route to overcome the major challenge associated with direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs), that is, high/low methanol crossover by improving the proton conduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pradip Das
- Department of Chemical Engineering, India Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, India
| | - Debarati Mukherjee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, India Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, India
| | - Bishnupada Mandal
- Department of Chemical Engineering, India Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, India
| | - Sasidhar Gumma
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Tirupati, Tirupati 517506, India
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21
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Mushtaq N, Lu Y, Xia C, Dong W, Wang B, Wang X, Yousaf Shah M, Rauf S, Jingjing N, Hu E, Xiao H, Raza R, Kim JS, Zhu B. Design principle and assessing the correlations in Sb-doped Ba0.5Sr0.5FeO3–δ perovskite oxide for enhanced oxygen reduction catalytic performance. J Catal 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcat.2020.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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22
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Abstract
Fuel cells are highly efficient and green power sources. The typical membrane electrode assembly is necessary for common electrochemical devices. Recent research and development in solid oxide fuel cells have opened up many new opportunities based on the semiconductor or its heterostructure materials. Semiconductor-based fuel cells (SBFCs) realize the fuel cell functionality in a much more straightforward way. This work aims to discuss new strategies and scientific principles of SBFCs by reviewing various novel junction types/interfaces, i.e., bulk and planar p-n junction, Schottky junction, and n-i type interface contact. New designing methodologies of SBFCs from energy band/alignment and built-in electric field (BIEF), which block the internal electronic transport while assisting interfacial superionic transport and subsequently enhance device performance, are comprehensively reviewed. This work highlights the recent advances of SBFCs and provides new methodology and understanding with significant importance for both fundamental and applied R&D on new-generation fuel cell materials and technologies.
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23
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Zhang Y, Liu J, Singh M, Hu E, Jiang Z, Raza R, Wang F, Wang J, Yang F, Zhu B. Superionic Conductivity in Ceria-Based Heterostructure Composites for Low-Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells. NANO-MICRO LETTERS 2020; 12:178. [PMID: 34138190 PMCID: PMC7770899 DOI: 10.1007/s40820-020-00518-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Ceria-based heterostructure composite (CHC) has become a new stream to develop advanced low-temperature (300-600 °C) solid oxide fuel cells (LTSOFCs) with excellent power outputs at 1000 mW cm-2 level. The state-of-the-art ceria-carbonate or ceria-semiconductor heterostructure composites have made the CHC systems significantly contribute to both fundamental and applied science researches of LTSOFCs; however, a deep scientific understanding to achieve excellent fuel cell performance and high superionic conduction is still missing, which may hinder its wide application and commercialization. This review aims to establish a new fundamental strategy for superionic conduction of the CHC materials and relevant LTSOFCs. This involves energy band and built-in-field assisting superionic conduction, highlighting coupling effect among the ionic transfer, band structure and alignment impact. Furthermore, theories of ceria-carbonate, e.g., space charge and multi-ion conduction, as well as new scientific understanding are discussed and presented for functional CHC materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifei Zhang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology/Energy Storage Research Center, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingjing Liu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology/Energy Storage Research Center, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, People's Republic of China
| | - Manish Singh
- Department of Chemistry, Division for Pure and Applied Biochemistry, Lund University, Naturvetarvägen 14, 22362, Lund, Sweden
| | - Enyi Hu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology/Energy Storage Research Center, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, People's Republic of China
| | - Zheng Jiang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology/Energy Storage Research Center, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, People's Republic of China
| | - Rizwan Raza
- Clean Energy Research Lab (CERL), Department of Physics, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan.
| | - Faze Wang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology/Energy Storage Research Center, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Wang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology/Energy Storage Research Center, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, People's Republic of China
| | - Fan Yang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology/Energy Storage Research Center, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, People's Republic of China.
| | - Bin Zhu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Solar Energy Science and Technology/Energy Storage Research Center, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, People's Republic of China.
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24
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Rauf S, Zhu B, Yousaf Shah MAK, Tayyab Z, Attique S, Ali N, Mushtaq N, Wang B, Yang C, Asghar MI, Lund PD. Application of a Triple-Conducting Heterostructure Electrolyte of Ba 0.5Sr 0.5Co 0.1Fe 0.7Zr 0.1Y 0.1O 3-δ and Ca 0.04Ce 0.80Sm 0.16O 2-δ in a High-Performance Low-Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cell. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:35071-35080. [PMID: 32667772 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c10061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Dual-ion electrolytes with oxygen ion and proton-conducting properties are among the innovative solid oxide electrolytes, which exhibit a low Ohmic resistance at temperatures below 550 °C. BaCo0.4Fe0.4Zr0.1Y0.1O3-δ with a perovskite-phase cathode has demonstrated efficient triple-charge conduction (H+/O2-/e-) in a high-performance low-temperature solid oxide fuel cell (LT-SOFC). Here, we designed another type of triple-charge conducting perovskite oxide based on Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.1Fe0.7Zr0.1Y0.1O3-δ (BSCFZY), which formed a heterostructure with ionic conductor Ca0.04Ce0.80Sm0.16O2-δ (SCDC), showing both a high ionic conductivity of 0.22 S cm-1 and an excellent power output of 900 mW cm-2 in a hybrid-ion LT-SOFC. In addition to demonstrating that a heterostructure BSCFZY-SCDC can be a good functional electrolyte, the existence of hybrid H+/O2- conducting species in BSCFZY-SCDC was confirmed. The heterointerface formation between BSCFZY and SCDC can be explained by energy band alignment, which was verified through UV-vis spectroscopy and UV photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS). The interface may help in providing a pathway to enhance the ionic conductivities and to avoid short-circuiting. Various characterization techniques are used to probe the electrochemical and physical properties of the material containing dual-ion characteristics. The results indicate that the triple-charge conducting electrolyte is a potential candidate to further reduce the operating temperature of SOFC while simultaneously maintaining high performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajid Rauf
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Centre for Advanced Materials, Faculty of Physics and Electronic Science, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, P. R. China
| | - Bin Zhu
- Energy Storage Joint Research Center, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, No.2 Si Pai Lou, Nanjing 210096, P. R. China
| | - M A K Yousaf Shah
- Engineering Research Centre of Nano-Geo Materials of Ministry of Education, Department of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, 388 Lumo Road, Wuhan 430074, P. R. China
| | - Zuhra Tayyab
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Centre for Advanced Materials, Faculty of Physics and Electronic Science, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, P. R. China
| | - Sanam Attique
- Institute for Composites Science Innovation (InCSI), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China
| | - Nasir Ali
- Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Quantum Technology and Devices and Department of Physics and State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China
| | - Naveed Mushtaq
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Centre for Advanced Materials, Faculty of Physics and Electronic Science, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, P. R. China
- Energy Storage Joint Research Center, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, No.2 Si Pai Lou, Nanjing 210096, P. R. China
| | - Baoyuan Wang
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Centre for Advanced Materials, Faculty of Physics and Electronic Science, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, P. R. China
| | - Changping Yang
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Centre for Advanced Materials, Faculty of Physics and Electronic Science, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, P. R. China
| | - Muhammad Imran Asghar
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Centre for Advanced Materials, Faculty of Physics and Electronic Science, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, P. R. China
- New Energy Technologies Group, Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University School of Science, P.O. Box 15100, FI-00076 Aalto, Espoo, Finland
| | - Peter D Lund
- Energy Storage Joint Research Center, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, No.2 Si Pai Lou, Nanjing 210096, P. R. China
- New Energy Technologies Group, Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University School of Science, P.O. Box 15100, FI-00076 Aalto, Espoo, Finland
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25
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Yousaf M, Mushtaq N, Zhu B, Wang B, Akhtar MN, Noor A, Afzal M. Electrochemical properties of Ni0.4Zn0.6 Fe2O4 and the heterostructure composites (Ni–Zn ferrite-SDC) for low temperature solid oxide fuel cell (LT-SOFC). Electrochim Acta 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2019.135349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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