Y/Zr/NiO-Ceria/Silica Nanocomposite Anodic Cermets Support Direct Ethanol SOFC

Abstract

Several inherent challenges accompany direct conversion of primary fuels (e.g. ethanol) at elevated temperatures and these problems limit the applicability and efficiency of the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology. In fact, a pressing problem is the fuel dehydrogenation of standard nickel-based anode cermet. In the present study, the contribution of ceria/silica nanoparticles acting as dopants toward the stability of nickel oxide (NiO) functionalized anodic layer for direct ethanol SOFC was investigated. Two dopants were fabricated from fused molten nanocomposite consisting of combined ceria and silica nanoparticles (4:1 volume ratio) with 5 wt% Y or Zr bound to NiO. After synthesis, both nanocomposites were characterized using appropriate techniques (Scanning Electron Microscopy, SEM, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, XPS, and X-ray Diffraction, XRD, techniques). All tests were conducted in fixed bed reactors for ethanol fueled SOFC. The Zr containing dopant altered the catalytic properties of these modified ceria/silica supports toward ethanol steam reforming compared to Y, while changes in electronic transport properties were also observed for both Y/NiO and Zr/NiO ceria/silica nanocomposites. The dopant with Zr also exhibited significant oxygen storage capacity and electronic conductivity compared to Y. In summary, these ceria/silica-based cermets acted as novel and effective anode materials for ethanol steam reforming. Keywords: Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC); Ceria dopants; Silica-based cermets; Direct ethanol SOFC.