A novel anode catalyst, C-MO-SDC ͑C = activated carbon/carbon black, M = Cu, Ni, Co, SDC = Ce 0.9 Sm 0.1 O 1.95 ͒ was synthesized by employing a citrate/nitrate combustion technique. Carbon materials, e.g., activated carbon and carbon black were first used to improve the solid oxide fuel cell ͑SOFC͒ anode properties, especially to improve the microstructure and to enhance the anode conductivity and catalyst function for directly operating methanol as the fuel. The resulting anode catalyst C-MO-SDC materials used in a SOFC device have successfully achieved a high power density of 0.25 W cm −2 by directly operating the methanol at 560°C.Low-temperature ͑300 to 600°C͒ solid oxide fuel cells ͑LTSOFCs͒ have demonstrated promising high performances for different fuels other than only hydrogen. In this case, liquid hydrocarbon fuels, e.g., methanol can be easily thermally decomposed to H 2 and CO that can be directly used for fuel cell operation without an external reformer thus leading to a simple system and highly efficient operation. This is the basic operation principle for SOFC directly using the methanol, etc., liquid hydrocarbon as the fuel. At present, the development of a SOFC device that can directly operate liquid hydrocarbon fuels, such as methanol and ethanol, etc., has become the focus of interest. They possess special advantages for transportation and distributed power applications. 1-3 A major hurdle for direct hydrocarbon fuel SOFC technology is carbon formation on anodes, e.g., Ni-CeO 2 ͑YSZ͒ anodes. 4 Cu-CeO 2 ͑YSZ͒ are used as anodes avoiding carbon deposition because Cu is a less activate catalyst for C-C bond formation, unlike Ni. 5 On the other hand, in recent years, Zhu et al. devoted themselves to developing LTSOFCs, resulting in novel functional ceria-salt composite ͑CSCs͒ electrolyte materials. 6-9 One of the CSCs 7 was used as the electrolytes in this experiment.This work aims at exploring the suitable and non-noble catalyst anode materials for direct operation of methanol in LTSOFCs. In the present work, a novel anode catalyst C-MO-SDC ͑C = activated carbon/carbon black; M = Cu, Ni, Co; SDC = Ce 0.9 Sm 0.1 O 1.95 ͒ was synthesized by employing a citrate/nitrate combustion technique, 10 and its anode function for direct methanol operated LTSOFC device has also been measured in comparison with different catalyst electrode materials. The discussions are carried out based on the experimental results. ExperimentalIn brief, anode materials were prepared employing combustion synthesis of a citrate-nitrate gel. In this method, appropriate amounts of Cu͑NO 3 ͒ 2 ·3H 2 O, Co͑NO 3 ͒ 2 ·6H 2 O, Ni͑NO 3 ͒ 2 ·6H 2 O, and fine SDC powder were added to distilled water, to which 1.5 mol citric acid per mole nitrate was added. The solid-solution mixture was heated and converted to a gel as the solvent was evaporated. The gel was dried fully in an oven at 110°C, and then fired at 500°C in air for 1 h, leading to a porous ash of MO-SDC. Activated carbon, 16 vol %, were mixed with the MO-SDC and ballmilled for 5...

No abstract