Advancing Electrode Properties through Functionalization for Solid Oxide Cells Application: A Review

Hydrogen energy has emerged as the only renewable which is capable of sustaining the prevalent energy crisis in conjunction with other intermittent sources. In this connection, solid oxide cell (SOC) is the most sustainable solid-state devices capable of recycling and reproducing green hydrogen fuel. It is operable in reversible modes viz, fuel cell (FC) and electrolysis cell (EC). SOC is capable of engaging multiple fuels thereby promoting carbon neutral planet. The all-solid design further augments the optimization of cost, efficiency, durability and endurance at higher temperature. Electrodes are therefore, an important component which is responsible for electrocatalytic processing of fuel and oxidant for higher recyclability of cell/stack. The present review article embarks a detailed overview on the past and present status of electrode composition, heterointerface engineering applicable for SOC's. Recent trends in electrode engineering and the possibilities for advancement in SOC is also reviewed with respect to both experimental and computational aspects.

In situ synthesis of a high-performance bismuth oxide based composite cathode for low temperature solid oxide fuel cells

Here, we report the design and fabrication of a cost-effective and high-performance composite (Bi0.75Y0.25)0.93Ce0.07O1.5±δ-La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 cathode by an in situ synthesis strategy with single-step phase formation and microstructure assembly, which shows lower cathode polarization resistance and better oxygen reduction reaction activity than the conventional LSM-based cathodes for low temperature solid oxide fuel cells.

Enhanced oxygen reduction activity and solid oxide fuel cell performance with a nanoparticles-loaded cathode

Reluctant oxygen-reduction-reaction (ORR) activity has been a long-standing challenge limiting cell performance for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) in both centralized and distributed power applications. We report here that this challenge has been tackled with coloading of (La,Sr)MnO3 (LSM) and Y2O3 stabilized zirconia (YSZ) nanoparticles within a porous YSZ framework. This design dramatically improves ORR activity, enhances fuel cell output (200-300% power improvement), and enables superior stability (no observed degradation within 500 h of operation) from 600 to 800 °C. The improved performance is attributed to the intimate contacts between nanoparticulate YSZ and LSM particles in the three-phase boundaries in the cathode.