In situ reconstruction of multi-phase heterostructured anodes for efficient and durable solid oxide fuel cells

A high-performance anode of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) should possess excellent electrocatalytic activity, high oxygen-ion/electron conductivity, and sufficient operational stability, thus requiring a delicate tuning of both the bulk and surface properties of the electrode materials. Constructing heterostructures to obtain high electrocatalytic activity catalysts is an essential but challenging research direction. Herein, a novel composite anode constructed with multiphase nanoparticles is rationally designed and prepared using intelligent in situ reconstruction technique. The self-assembled La0.9Ce0.1Ni0.7Co0.15Fe0.15O3-s-Sm0.2Ce0.8O2 (LCNCF-SDC) anode was in situ reconstructed under reducing atmosphere to form uniform NiCoFe/CeO2/La2O3 multiphase heterostructures. As a result, the maximum power densities of a cell supported by 500 mu m-thick Ce0.8Sm0.2O2-s-carbonate electrolyte layer with the LCNCF-SDC anode reach 1.34 and 1.56 W cm-2 at 700 degrees C, respectively for using H2 and methanol as fuels. The synergy between multiphase nanoparticles contributes to the enhanced catalytic activity and stability. This anode demonstrates negligible degradation over 15 h in CH3OH, indicating a significantly enhanced coking resistance.