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 La 0.9 Ce 0.1 Ni 0.7 Co 0.15 Fe 0.15 O 3-δ -Sm 0.2 Ce 0.8 O 2 (LCNCF-SDC) anode was in situ reconstructed under reducing atmosphere to form uniform NiCoFe/CeO 2 /La 2 O 3 multiphase heterostructures. As a result, the maximum power densities of a cell supported by 500 μm-thick Ce 0.8 Sm 0.2 O 2-δ -carbonate electrolyte layer with the LCNCF-SDC anode reach 1.34 and 1.56 W cm −2 at 700 °C, respectively for using H 2 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 CH 3 OH, indicating a significantly enhanced coking resistance.