Mo,Cu-doped CeO2 as Anode Material of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) using Syngas as Fuel

Abstract

Mo,Cu-doped CeO 2 (CMCuO) nanopowders were synthesized by the nitrate-fuel combustion method aiming to improve the electrical and electrochemical properties of its Mo-doped CeO 2 (CMO) parent by the addition of copper. An electrical conductivity of ca. 1.22•10 -2 S cm -1was measured in air at 800 o C for CMCuO, which is nearly 10 times higher than that reported for CMO. This increase was associated with the inclusion of copper into the crystal lattice of ceria and the presence of Cu and Cu 2 O as secondary phases in the CMCuO structure, which also could explain the increase in the charge transfer activities of the CMCuO based anode for the hydrogen and carbon monoxide electro-oxidation processes compared to the CMO based anode. A maximum power density of ca. 120 mW cm -2 was measured using a CMCuO based anode in a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) with YSZ electrolyte and LSM-YSZ cathode operating at 800°C with humidified syngas as fuel, which is comparable to the power output reported for other SOFCs with anodes containing copper. An increase in the area specific resistance of the SOFC was observed after ca. 10 hours of operation under cycling open circuit voltage and polarization conditions, which was attributed to the anode delamination caused by the reduction of the Cu 2 O secondary phase contained in its microstructure. Therefore, the addition of a more electroactive phase for hydrogen oxidation is suggested to confer long-term stability to the CMCuO based anode.

Recent Development in Reversible Solid Oxide Fuel Cells: Theory, Integration and Prospective

“…A thin film electrolyte of approximately 10 μm thickness can be prepared on their surface, effectively reducing the internal resistance of the cell and enhancing its output performance. However, Ni-based metal ceramic electrodes also come with certain challenges, especially concerning carbon deposition, sulfur poisoning, and relatively poor redox cycle stability when [ 38,39] Cu-CeO 2 -YSZ Improve the ability to resist sulfur poisoning and carbon accumulation, and have higher electrochemical catalytic activity Cu-doped CeO 2 will decay at low temperature [40] Cu-CeO 2 -Co…”

Comparative Study of the Performance of Syngas-Fueled Carbon-Air Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Using Anodes Based on M-Doped CeO2 (M: Mo or Mo-Cu)

“…Recently it has been reported that the addition of molybdenum to CeO 2 (Mo-doped CeO 2 or CMO) confers catalytic activity to the carbon gasification reaction and an increase in the electrical conductivity of CeO 2 (6). Furthermore, it has been reported that the addition of copper nanoparticles to Mo-doped CeO 2 increases its electrical conductivity 10 times (7).…”

Recent Advances and Challenges in Thin-Film Fabrication Techniques for Low-Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

“…It was also explored that the addition of cobalt to Cu-CeO 2 -YSZ anode cermet can further enhance its catalytic activity, increasing the peak power density of the cell up to 310 mW•cm −2 with H 2 and 370 mW•cm −2 with CO fuel. Further extensive research on Cu-based anodes can be found in the literature [156][157][158].…”