Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yun Chen, Harry Abernathy, Gregory Hackett, Yueying Fan, Shiwoo Lee, Kirk Gerdes, Xueyan Song
Summary: This study possibly provides the first experimental evidence of space charge layer evolution of grain boundaries in yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) in a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) composite anode. It is found that under humidified H2 fuel, a discrete core-shell structure develops along the YSZ/YSZ grain boundary planes, where the core has a lower mass with Y-depleted ZrO2-x and the shell has a constant thickness of about 1 nm and is Y-enriched.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ben Ma, Zhaohui Chen, Zhuang Lin, Lin Cheng, Yingke Zhou
Summary: This study investigates the effects of Mg doping on the performance of Mn-Cr spinel oxide cathodes in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Both experimental results and density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that Mg doping can optimize the electronic structure of the spinel oxide, increase the oxygen vacancy concentration, and improve the electrical conductivity and catalytic activity. The Mg-doped Mn-Cr spinel oxide cathode exhibits superior performance with high area-specific polarization resistance and maximum power density.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Huiying Qi, Tonghuan Zhang, Peng Qiu, Di Liu, Baofeng Tu, Mojie Cheng
Summary: Composite perovskites show promise as cathode materials for low/intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LT/IT-SOFC), combining the advantages of multiple components. Liquid self-assembly (SA) demonstrates superior performance compared to nanosolid mechanical-mixing (MM), achieving molecular-level contact of multiple phases and improving electrical conductivity and cell power density.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhenwei Wang, Haibin Sun, Jiao Li, Xue Guo, Qiangqiang Hu, Zanzhong Yang, Fangyong Yu, Guochang Li
Summary: By infiltrating ESB, the polarization resistances and activation energy of LSCF cathodes were significantly reduced, improving the oxygen reduction reaction process and enhancing the performance of intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
K. P. Padmasree, Ke-Yu Lai, Arumugam Manthiram
Summary: The calcium cobaltite Ca(3-x)La(x)Co(4-y)CuyO(9+delta) doped with x and y = 0 and 0.1 showed slightly affected electrical and thermal properties, with the undoped sample exhibiting improved symmetrical cell performance in intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells.
CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jiongyuan Huang, Quan Liu, San Ping Jiang, Ling Zhao, Na Ai, Xin Wang, Yanqun Shao, Chengzhi Guan, Huihuang Fang, Yu Luo, Kongfa Chen
Summary: The infiltration of BaCO3 nanoparticles improves the performance of LSCF cathodes and enhances their tolerance to Cr species.
APPLIED CATALYSIS B-ENVIRONMENTAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Tomasz A. Prokop, Grzegorz Brus
Summary: This study aims to explain the increase in voltage observed during a 3800-hour operation of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack. A three-dimensional phase field model is used to simulate the evolution of the microstructure, and a mass and charge transport model is used to predict the voltage change. The results suggest that the enhanced performance is due to the clearing of diffusion pathways and significant changes in the ceramic phase within the electrode.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2023)
Review
Thermodynamics
Qidong Xu, Zengjia Guo, Lingchao Xia, Zheng Li, Idris Temitope Bello, Keqing Zheng, Meng Ni, Qijiao He
Summary: This article comprehensively reviews the electrochemical performances and stabilities of SOFCs operating on various fuels. Although comparable power densities to hydrogen were frequently obtained, degradation problems induced by these fuels influence the long-term stable operation of SOFCs. Potential strategies from three perspectives of thermodynamics, kinetics and structure are proposed to solve degradation issues. The remaining challenges and future prospects of SOFCs fed by each fuel are separately elaborated.
ENERGY CONVERSION AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Saeed Ur Rehman, Sanaullah Qamar, Muhammad Haseeb Hassan, Hye-Sung Kim, Rak-Hyun Song, Tak-Hyoung Lim, Jong-Eun Hong, Seok-Joo Park, Dong-Woo Joh, Seung-Bok Lee
Summary: Researchers have developed a new infiltration agent to manufacture high-performing air electrodes with nanostructures for solid oxide fuel cells, which can potentially reduce the operating temperature. The new process involves the thermal decomposition of trichloroacetic acid in water, causing metal ions in the solution to crystallize out as slightly soluble carbonates. This eliminates the need for high-temperature calcination after each infiltration step, resulting in improved performance and durability during stability tests.
JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN CERAMIC SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Le Sun, Naizhi Li, Chusheng Chen, Zhongliang Zhan
Summary: The study found that the performance of solid oxide fuel cells depends on the pore structure of the supporting cathode, with a straight pore structure and SDC-modified pore surface promoting surface oxygen exchange, oxygen species transport, and ion and electron conduction in the electrode. Ceramic cathode-supported cells showed better stability than cermet anode-supported cells, and further research on supporting cathodes is needed to increase power output density.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Sea-Fue Wang, Yung-Fu Hsu, Yi-Le Liao, Shih-Ting Huang, Piotr Jasinski
Summary: The perovskite NdSrCo2O5+delta (NSCO) shows high electrical conductivity and is used as the cathode material for Ce0.8Gd0.2O2-delta (GDC)-supported microtubular solid oxide fuel cells (MT-SOFCs). By varying design parameters, the MT-SOFC with an outer tube diameter of 1.86 mm, an electrolyte thickness of 180 um, and a 5NSCO-5GDC composite cathode exhibits the best performance, with high power density and mechanical integrity. The results demonstrate the high electrochemical activity of the NSCO-GDC composite and exceed existing MT-SOFCs in terms of power density.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jihao Zhang, Huding Guo, Libin Lei, Shuanglin Shen, Keqing Zheng, Minfang Han
Summary: A practical segmented cell measurement method is developed to detect fuel starvation in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) at local regions. By segmenting the cathode and only measuring the voltage signal, the local current-voltage (I-V) curve per segment is determined. The area specific resistance (ASR) is calculated and compared among segments to validate the data reliability. Fuel starvation is estimated using the rapid voltage drop in I-V curves and the rapid ASR increment in I-ASR curves, with the ASR increment being a more sensitive criterion.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Juntao Gao, Yingying Liu, Yuan Gao, Mengke Yuan, Zhe Wang, Zhe Lu, Qiang Li, Bo Wei
Summary: This study developed cobalt-free fluorine doped Bi0.7Sr0.3FeO3-6 oxides for energetic cathodes of low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Myung Seok Lee, Sanghoon Lee, Wonyeop Jeong, Sangbong Ryu, Wonjong Yu, Yoon Ho Lee, Gu Young Cho, Suk Won Cha
Summary: This study fabricated TF-SOFCs with optimized anode-substrate nanostructure for low-temperature operation, and characterized the six combinations of fuel cells to identify the best performance. EIS analysis indicated that the optimized ohmic and faradaic resistance originated from each part of the unique TF-SOFC structure.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Nor Anisa Arifin, Abd Halim Shamsuddin, Robert Steinberger-Wilckens
Summary: This study evaluates the influence of carbon deposition on the performance of Ni/YSZ and Ni/ScSZ solid oxide fuel cells operating in simulated biogas. The results show that carbon deposition affects performance, with Ni/ScSZ cells having higher carbon content but better performance than Ni/YSZ cells.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Binbin Wu, Na Ni, Xiaohui Fan, Xiaofeng Zhao, Fangwei Guo, Qi Ding, Ping Xiao
Summary: The experiment showed that SiC fibers with scheelite coating treated in vacuum exhibited good thermal stability, while fibers prepared in Ar/air had significantly degraded strength and poor spool ability. This difference is attributed to the assisted oxidation of SiC fiber by calcium salts in Ar/air atmosphere.
CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Masatomo Yashima, Takafumi Tsujiguchi, Yuichi Sakuda, Yuta Yasui, Yu Zhou, Kotaro Fujii, Shuki Torii, Takashi Kamiyama, Stephen J. Skinner
Summary: Oxide-ion conductors are crucial in various applications for clean energy. The high oxide-ion conductivity of the hexagonal perovskite-related oxide Ba7Nb3.9Mo1.1O20.05, attributed to interstitialcy diffusion and low activation energy for oxide-ion conductivity, is reported by the authors.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yu Zhou, Masahiro Shiraiwa, Masanori Nagao, Kotaro Fujii, Isao Tanaka, Masatomo Yashima, Laura Baque, Juan F. Basbus, Liliana Mogni, Stephen J. Skinner
Summary: The experimental investigation showed that calcium-doped layered perovskite compounds, BaNd1-xCaxInO4-x/2, exhibit significantly improved protonic conductivity, especially in humid environments. This study provides strong evidence that the doped compounds have potential applications as fast proton conductors.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hany Fathy Heiba, Jay C. Bullen, Andreas Kafizas, Camille Petit, Stephen J. Skinner, Dominik Weiss
Summary: The study critically examined the factors affecting the experimental determination of reaction rates for the photocatalytic oxidation of arsenite (As(III)) using TiO2 under UV radiation. The key findings include the importance of proper handling of adsorption and depletion of As(III), the potential impact of the solution composition and the light source on the oxidation rates, and the low quantum yield of the As(III) oxidation reaction.
JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY A-CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jia Guo, Rongsheng Cai, Eleonora Cali, George E. Wilson, Gwilherm Kerherve, Sarah J. Haigh, Stephen J. Skinner
Summary: A-site deficient double perovskite oxides are subjected to low-temperature reduction, resulting in the exsolution of nanoparticles. These nanoparticles exhibit diffusion-limited growth and consist of both nickel and ruthenium, making them rare bimetallic nanoparticles formed at such low temperatures. The reduced electrode layers show a significant decrease in area-specific resistance, indicating promising prospects for catalytic applications.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Katherine Develos-Bagarinao, Ozden Celikbilek, Riyan A. Budiman, Gwilherm Kerherve, Sarah Fearn, Stephen J. Skinner, Haruo Kishimoto
Summary: Innovative electrode structures are actively researched for solid oxide cells (SOCs) to achieve superior performance and long-term stability. This study investigates the effects of deposition temperature and annealing on nanostructured LSC thin film electrodes, revealing the importance of surface and interface tuning for improved electrochemical performance and stability.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2022)
Editorial Material
Chemistry, Physical
Stephen J. Skinner, Viola Birss, Jennifer Rupp, Roger A. De Souza
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Duke P. C. Shih, Ainara Aguadero, Stephen J. Skinner
Summary: This study investigates the effect of A-site monovalent ions (K+ and Li+) on the electrical conductivity of NBT. The results show that partial replacement of Bi3+ with monovalent ions significantly improves the ionic conductivity, possibly due to an increase in oxygen vacancy concentration. The isotope exchange depth profile method confirms that oxygen ions are the main charge carriers.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Electrochemistry
George E. Wilson, Ieuan D. Seymour, Andrea Cavallaro, Stephen J. Skinner, Ainara Aguadero
Summary: The use of perovskite materials for thermochemical energy storage and oxygen separation has been gaining momentum due to their large oxygen exchange capacity and flexibility. This study investigates antimony-substituted strontium cobalt oxides as new materials for thermochemical oxygen separation. The results reveal exceptional redox kinetics and cyclability, with higher oxygen evolution and hindered reduction due to the inductive effect of antimony dopants. The identified material, SrCo0.95Sb0.05O3-delta, shows great potential for oxygen production under temperature-swing reaction configurations.
JOURNAL OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Nicholas J. Williams, Ieuan D. Seymour, Dimitrios Fraggedakis, Stephen J. Skinner
Summary: In this study, the activation losses at solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) electrodes were investigated by simulating charge transfer using density functional theory (DFT). The electrostatic responses to the electric field were found to correlate with experimental data for different reduction reactions at mixed ionic-electronic conducting (MIEC) electrode surfaces. The study also highlighted the importance of decoupled ion-electron transfer and charged adsorbates on the performance of electrodes under nonequilibrium conditions. The findings have potential implications in energy storage and catalysis.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michael High, Clemens F. Patzschke, Liya Zheng, Dewang Zeng, Oriol Gavalda-Diaz, Nan Ding, Ka Ho Horace Chien, Zili Zhang, George E. Wilson, Andrey Berenov, Stephen J. Skinner, Kyra L. Sedransk Campbell, Rui Xiao, Paul S. Fennell, Qilei Song
Summary: This study reports the preparation of durable copper-based redox sorbents using a precursor engineering approach for thermochemical looping processes. The redox sorbents showed enhanced reaction rates, stable oxygen storage capacity, and efficient gas purification over a broad temperature range.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Nicholas J. Williams, Ieuan D. Seymour, Robert T. Leah, Aayan Banerjee, Subhasish Mukerjee, Stephen J. Skinner
Summary: Non-equilibrium thermodynamics describes the current-voltage characteristics of electrochemical devices. In this study, the activation overpotential for the metal/mixed ionic-electronic conducting composite electrodes originates at the interface between the material and gas. The driving force for coupled ion-electron transfer is held at the interface, and the rate of transfer scales with the availability of free sites on the metallic surface.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Juan F. Basbus, Mauricio D. Arce, Jose A. Alonso, Miguel A. Gonzalez, Gabriel J. Cuello, Maria T. Fernandez-Diaz, Zijie Sha, Stephen J. Skinner, Liliana Mogni, Adriana C. Serquis
Summary: Understanding the protonic defect transport mechanism in Ba(Ce,Zr)O-3 perovskite oxides and defining the appropriate temperature range are important for material design and application. Structural features, lattice distortions, and proton diffusion play key roles in protonic conduction.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Stephen John Skinner, Cheng Li, Stevin Pramana
ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA A-FOUNDATION AND ADVANCES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Andrea Cavallaro, George E. Wilson, Gwilherm Kerherve, Eleonora Cali, Celeste A. M. van den Bosch, Paul Boldrin, David Payne, Stephen J. Skinner, Ainara Aguadero
Summary: This study investigates the effect of water exposure on substituted SrCoO3 powders and thin films, revealing phase degradation under water oxidizing conditions and the formation of Sr6Co5O15. Characterization techniques show that this effect may already start superficially at the surface layer, impacting oxygen diffusivity and oxidation-reduction kinetics.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2021)