In situ reconstruction of proton conductive electrolyte from self-assembled perovskite oxide-based nanocomposite for low temperature ceramic fuel cells

Abstract

In the development of low temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LT-SOFCs), also called ceramic fuel cells, the lack of highly conductive and the high manufacturing cost of dense electrolyte materials severely delay their wide development. In this work, we depart from the classic substitution approach to achieve sufficient ionic conduction (0.01 S cm−2 level at temperature ≥600 °C), a superionic conductive electrolyte material was obtained from a self-assembled hybrid oxide that was derived from the perovskite oxide precursor through alkali metal ion substitution. Moreover, the hybrid oxide was further in-situ reconstructed into a nanocomposite of oxide/carbonate-hydroxide under fuel cell condition. The nanocomposite possesses dominated proton conductivity as verified by the benefited hydration effect, versatile oxygen ionic blocking cell experiment, and concentration cell investigation. Specifically, an outstanding ionic conductivity of 0.185 S cm−1 and an excellent peak power density of 1012 mW cm−2 were demonstrated at 550 °C under an typical H2/air atmosphere. This research offers a rational design strategy to achieve low temperature, high-performance semiconductor-based functional composite electrolytes for efficient and sustainable energy conversion in SOFC technology.