Cu-Ce0.8Sm0.2O2-δ anode for electrochemical oxidation of methanol in solid oxide fuel cell: Improved activity by La and Nd doping

Cu Ce 0.8 La 0.1 Sm 0.1 O 2-δ and Cu Ce 0.8 Nd 0.1 Sm 0.1 O 2-δ are studied as anode materials for solid oxide fuel cells with methanol as fuel. The oxygen surface exchange and bulk diffusion coefficients of Ce 0.8 Sm 0.2 O 2-δ both increase with La and Nd doping. The CH 3 OH temperature-programmed surface reaction results show that the addition of La and Nd accelerates the chemical oxidation of CH 3 OH. Furthermore, compared with Cu Ce 0.8 Sm 0.2 O 2-δ , the anodes with La and Nd show higher resistance to coking in CH 3 OH atmosphere. The Cu-based cermet anode exhibits a low catalytic activity for the electrochemical oxidation of H 2 , and a single cell supported by a Ce 0.8 Sm 0.2 O 2-δ ‑carbonate composite electrolyte with Cu Ce 0.8 Sm 0.2 O 2-δ anode exhibits a maximum power density of 160 mW cm −2 at 650 °C using dry hydrogen as fuel. However, the maximum power density reaches 550 mW cm −2 when CH 3 OH is used as fuel, and further increases to 730 and 830 mW cm −2 with the addition of La and Nd in the anode, respectively. The results indicate that with the promotion of the oxygen activity, the Cu-based cermet is a promising anode material for solid oxide fuel cells using CH 3 OH as fuel.