Recent Progress on Advanced Materials for Solid-Oxide Fuel Cells Operating Below 500 °C

Yuan Zhang; Ruth Knibbe; Jaka Sunarso; Yijun Zhong; Wei Zhou; Zongping Shao; Zhonghua Zhu

doi:10.1002/adma.201700132

Recent Progress on Advanced Materials for Solid-Oxide Fuel Cells Operating Below 500 °C

Adv Mater. 2017 Dec;29(48). doi: 10.1002/adma.201700132. Epub 2017 Jun 19.

Authors

Yuan Zhang¹, Ruth Knibbe², Jaka Sunarso³, Yijun Zhong¹, Wei Zhou¹, Zongping Shao^{4

5}, Zhonghua Zhu⁶

Affiliations

¹ Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, No. 5 Xin Mofan Road, Nanjing, 210009, P. R. China.
² School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia.
³ Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Science, Swinburne University of Technology, Jalan Simpang Tiga, 93350, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.
⁴ Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Energy, Nanjing Tech University, No. 5 Xin Mofan Road, Nanjing, 210009, P. R. China.
⁵ Department of Chemical Engineering, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, 6845, Australia.
⁶ School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia.

PMID: 28628239
DOI: 10.1002/adma.201700132

Abstract

Solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are electricity generators that can convert the chemical energy in various fuels directly to the electric power with high efficiency. Recent advances in materials and related key components for SOFCs operating at ≈500 °C are summarized here, with a focus on the materials, structures, and techniques development for low-temperature SOFCs, including the analysis of most of the critical parameters affecting the electrochemical performance of the electrolyte, anode, and cathode. New strategies, such as thin-film deposition, exsolution of nanoparticles from perovskites, microwave plasma heating, and finger-like channeled electrodes, are discussed. These recent developments highlight the need for electrodes with higher activity and electrolytes with greater conductivity to generate a high electrochemical performance at lower temperatures.

Keywords: anodes; cathodes; electrolytes; low operating temperature; solid-oxide fuel cells.

Publication types

Review