Direct CH4–CO2 solid oxide fuel cells combined with Li-doped perovskite dry reforming catalysts for high efficiency power generation

Abstract

Direct CH4–CO2 solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) have attracted considerable attention due to their potential for high-efficiency power generation with low environmental impact. However, carbon deposition on Ni-based cermet anodes remains a critical challenge, leading to performance degradation. In this study, we propose a novel approach to address this issue by using a Li-doped perovskite, (La0.75Sr0.25)0.95Li0.1Cr0.5Fe0.4Ni0.1O3-δ (LSLCFN), as an exsolution system and a dry reforming catalyst for SOFCs. The LSLCFN catalyst exhibits enhanced carbon dioxide adsorption capacity, effectively reducing carbon deposition on the anode surface. In addition, the incorporation of Ni–Fe alloy nanoparticles facilitates dissolution in a reducing atmosphere and exhibits remarkable stability in the presence of carbon dioxide. Anode-supported single cells incorporating a LSLCFN-Ce0.9Gd0.1O2–δ(LSLCFN-GDC) composite as the anode active reforming layer exhibit excellent electrochemical performance when operated with both H2 and CH4–CO2 fuels. The peak power densities reach 904.86 and 825.37 mW cm−2 at 800 °C, respectively. Furthermore, the LSLCFN-GDC reforming layer maintains stable performance during the dry reforming of a 50%CH4–50%CO2 fuel mixture for 100 h at 700 °C, with negligible carbon deposition. These results highlight the effectiveness of employing a dry reforming catalyst to enhance CH4–CO2 reforming and optimize electrochemical performance for efficient energy conversion in SOFCs.