Full Cell Research Articles

High‐Entropy Argyrodite‐Type Sulfide Electrolyte with High Conductivity and Electro‐Chemo‐Mechanical Stability for Fast‐Charging All‐Solid‐State Batteries

AbstractInorganic solid electrolytes offer inherently unique transport, thermal, and mechanical attributes that can potentially address the fast‐charging barriers of safety, performance, and degradation exhibited by their liquid counterparts; however, to achieve reliable fast charging while retaining long cycle life remains a challenge for all‐solid‐state lithium batteries (ASSLBs), which is hindered by the electro‐chemo‐mechanical and transport issues at solid–solid interface. Herein, a high‐entropy strategy is reported to design ideal argyrodite electrolytes for fast‐charging ASSLBs with boosted transport kinetics and mitigated electrolyte‐electrode reactions via anionic site disordering. As proof of concept, multiple aliovalent cations (Si4+/Ge4+/Sn4+) and anions (Cl−) are introduced to Li6PS5Br (LPSBr) to prepare its high‐entropy counterpart, HE‐LPSBrCl. As the configuration entropy increases from 1.35 to 2.29 R, the disordering increases by 6.83‐fold and ionic conductivity increases by nearly one order of magnitude (7.96 mS cm−1 at 30 °C for HE‐LPSBrCl). The HE‐LPSBrCl full cells deliver a high capacity of 67.7 mA h g−1 at 10 C, 61.5 times higher than that of LPSBr counterparts, and retain 85.6% of the capacity (96.2 mA h g−1 at 5 C) after 1400 cycles. Unwanted mechanical penetration of Li and interfacial delamination and particle cracking of composite cathode at high rates are successfully suppressed.

Surface-enriched Co engineering promoting electronic conductivity for single-crystalline Ni-based layered oxide cathodes

Single-crystalline layered oxides are at the forefront of the development of high-energy lithium-ion battery (LiB) electrode materials, offering prolonged durability by circumventing the crack-related structural reconstruction and mechanical collapse seen in their polycrystalline counterparts. However, the sluggish carrier transport in large-crystalline particles impedes their rate capability. While most research has prioritized improving ion diffusion, the pivotal role of electron transport in electrochemical kinetics has been relatively overlooked. Herein, we enhance the kinetics of charge transfer and inhibit Mn dissolution from the bulk lattice by modulating the cobalt concentration on the surface of a single-crystalline Ni-based layered oxide cathode, LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2. Liquid pouch-type full cells employing surface Co-concentrated cathodes exhibit exceptional high-temperature (55 °C) specific capacity (193.6 mAh g−1 at 0.2C), capacity retention (90.1 % after 2000 cycles at 1 C), and impressive rate performance at 12C. Moreover, by utilizing the varying composition-related kinetics in the composite cathode of sulfide-based all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs), we find that surface-enriched Co modification enhances the electronic percolation within the composite cathode, significantly contributing to the rate performance of ASSBs, beyond the effect of ion diffusion. This research underscores the significance of electronic properties in single-crystalline layered oxides for achieving high-power LiBs and ASSBs.

Regulating horizontal lamellar Zn to uniformly deposit under and on the hollow porous carbon nanosphere coating for dendrite-free metal Zn anode

To address dendrite, corrosion and side-reaction issues of metal Zn anode, hollow porous carbon nanospheres (HPCN) are designed to coat Zn anode. The HPCN coating as artificial interface alleviates hydrogen evolution reaction and Zn corrosion. The cavities and mesopores of HPCNs provide plentiful channels for substance transfer, homogenizing Zn2+ flux. The high electronic conductive HPCNs greatly homogenizes electronic field. These leads to low contact angel, nucleation overpotential and activation energy; high Zn2+ transference number and exchange current density. Highly homogeneous Zn2+ flux and electric field strongly regulate Zn plating/stripping behavior, and facilitate the uniform deposition of dense horizontal lamellar Zn under and on the HPCN coating. Zn dendrites induced by 2D diffusion and tip effect are inhibited. The by-products are also limited. Consequently, HPCN coating significantly improves long-term cycling lifespan and plating/stripping efficiency (2420 h at 1 mA cm−2, 1 mAh cm−2; 1515 h at 5 mA cm−2, 1 mAh cm−2; 290 h at 10 mA cm−2, 10 mAh cm−2). HPCN@Zn//MnVO full cell sustains discharge capacity of 149 mAh g−1 after 400 cycles at 1 A/g. Electronic/ionic conductive HPCNs uniquely regulate Zn plating/stripping behavior under and on the coating, stable Zn anode, and shed new light on interface engineering.

Prompt Molten Na Infusion and Fluidic Transport by Virtue of Versatile Nano Canal Defects on Tin Oxide Sodiophilic Hosts

AbstractIntrinsically weak metal affinity and sluggish sodium (Na) nucleation/molten fluidic transport of conventional hosts impede the fabrication of high‐capacity Na anodes. Mediating surface free energies (SFEs) of hosts and reinforcing their intermolecular attraction to viscous Na fluids can radically solve these problems. Herein, “canaled” tin oxide nanorod arrays grown on a 3D carbon cloth (CC) matrix exhibit distinct polar/nonpolar SFE components that markedly elevate the solid–liquid wettability for molten Na is reported. Such nanocanal defects render strong capillary forces for spontaneous molten Na imbibition and help to instantly activate Na─Sn alloying and Na nucleation reactions. Furthermore, sodiophilic Na15Sn4 interlayers evolved in former alloying procedures also aid in reducing Na nucleation energy barriers and guide the planar electro‐deposition/dispersion, alleviating the uncontrolled Na dendrite growth. The derived Na/Na15Sn4/CC anodes can thus keep stable after 2000 h of galvanostatic cycling at 1 mA cm−2 or high‐rate testing, without notable dendritic formation. The packed full cells also show superior rate capability and cyclability (capacity retention over 91.5% after all cycling at 1 C). This work provides a smart nano‐engineering way to trigger a fast infusion of molten metals into hosts and synergistically facilitate Na fluidic transport, which may push forward the scalable application of Na metal batteries.

Molecular structure regulation of FCCs enabling N/S co-doped hollow amorphous carbon with enlarged interlayer spacing and rich defects for superior potassium storage

Constructing high-performance and low-cost carbon anodes for potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) is highly desirable but faces great challenges. In this study, we present a novel approach to fabricating N/S co-doped hollow amorphous carbon (LNSHAC) for superior potassium storage through a template-assisted molecular structure regulation strategy. By tailoring a 3D crosslinked aromatics precursor from fluid catalytic cracking slurry (FCCs), the LNSHAC features a N/S co-doped hollow structure with enlarged interlayer spacing of up to 0.405 nm and rich defects. Such unique microstructure offers fast transport channels for K-ion intercalation/deintercalation and provides more active sites, leading to boosted reaction kinetics and potassium storage capacity. Consequently, the LNSHAC electrode delivers an impressive reversible capacity (466.2 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A/g), excellent rate capability (336.3 mAh g−1 at 2 A/g), and superior cyclic performance (256.9 mAh g−1 after 5000 cycles at 5 A/g with admirable retention of 76.9 %), standing out among the reported carbon-based anodes. When KFeHCF is employed as the cathode, the LNSHAC-based K-ion full cell exhibits a high reversible capacity of 176.6 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A/g and excellent cyclic stability over 200 cycles. This work will inspire the development and application of advanced carbon-based materials for potassium electrochemical energy storage.

Gradient Interphase Engineering Enabled by Anionic Redox for High-Voltage and Long-Life Li-Ion Batteries.

Intelligent utilization of the anionic redox reaction (ARR) in Li-rich cathodes is an advanced strategy for the practical implementation of next-generation high-energy-density rechargeable batteries. However, due to the intrinsic complexity of ARR (e.g., nucleophilic attacks), the instability of the cathode-electrolyte interphase (CEI) on a Li-rich cathode presents more challenges than typical high-voltage cathodes. Here, we manipulate CEI interfacial engineering by introducing an all-fluorinated electrolyte and exploiting its interaction with the nucleophilic attack to construct a gradient CEI containing a pair of fluorinated layers on a Li-rich cathode, delivering enhanced interfacial stability. Negative/detrimental nucleophilic electrolyte decomposition has been efficiently evolved to further reinforce CEI fabrication, resulting in the construction of LiF-based indurated outer shield and fluorinated polymer-based flexible inner sheaths. Gradient interphase engineering dramatically improved the capacity retention of the Li-rich cathode from 43 to 71% after 800 cycles and achieved superior cycling stability in anode-free and pouch-type full cells (98.8% capacity retention, 220 cycles), respectively.

Fall and Rise: Disentangling Cycle Life Trends in Atmospheric Plasma-Synthesized FeOOH/PANI Composite for Conversion Anodes in Lithium-Ion Batteries

Various iron oxides have been proven to be promising anode materials for metal-ion batteries due to their natural abundance, high theoretical capacity, ease of preparation, and environmental friendliness. However, the synthesis of iron oxide-based composites requires complex approaches, especially when it comes to composites with intrinsically conductive polymers. In this work, we propose a one-step microplasma synthesis of polyaniline-coated urchin-like FeOOH nanoparticles (FeOOH/PANI) for applications as anodes in lithium-ion batteries. The material shows excellent electrochemical properties, providing an initial capacity of ca. 1600 mA∙h∙g−1 at 0.05 A∙g−1 and 900 mA∙g−1 at 1.2 A∙g−1. Further cycling led to a capacity decrease to 150 mA∙h∙g−1 by the 60th cycle, followed by a recovery that maintained the capacity at 767 mA∙h∙g−1 after 2000 cycles at 1.2 A∙g−1 and restored the full initial capacity of 1600 mA∙h∙g−1 at a low current density of 0.05 A∙g−1. Electrochemical milling—the phenomenon we confirmed via a combination of physico-chemical and electrochemical techniques—caused the material to exhibit interesting behavior. The anodes also exhibited high performance in a full cell with NMC532, which provided an energy density of 224 Wh∙kg−1, comparable to the reference cell with a graphite anode (264 Wh∙kg−1).

Solvation-property relationship of lithium-sulphur battery electrolytes

The Li-S battery is a promising next-generation battery chemistry that offers high energy density and low cost. The Li-S battery has a unique chemistry with intermediate sulphur species readily solvated in electrolytes, and understanding their implications is important from both practical and fundamental perspectives. In this study, we utilise the solvation free energy of electrolytes as a metric to formulate solvation-property relationships in various electrolytes and investigate their impact on the solvated lithium polysulphides. We find that solvation free energy influences Li-S battery voltage profile, lithium polysulphide solubility, Li-S battery cyclability and the Li metal anode; weaker solvation leads to lower 1st plateau voltage, higher 2nd plateau voltage, lower lithium polysulphide solubility, and superior cyclability of Li-S full cells and Li metal anodes. We believe that relationships delineated in this study can guide the design of high-performance electrolytes for Li-S batteries.

Surface Patterning of Metal Zinc Electrode with an In-Region Zincophilic Interface for High-Rate and Long-Cycle-Life Zinc Metal Anode

HighlightsA stable Zn anode was obtained by patterning Zn foil surfaces and endowing a zincphilic interface in microchannels.The accumulation of electrons in the microchannel and the zincphilic interface promoted preferential heteroepitaxial Zn deposition in the microchannel region and subsequent homoepitaxial Zn deposition on the array surface.The Zn symmetrical cells could undergo repeated plating/stripping for more than 25,000 cycles at the current densities of 10 and 20 mA cm−2.

A Molecule Crowding Strategy to Stabilize Aqueous Sodium‐Ion Batteries

AbstractAqueous sodium‐ion batteries (ASIBs) have recently emerged as a compelling choice for large‐scale energy storage when considering their safe operational characteristics and cost‐effectiveness. Nonetheless, the inadequate electrochemical stability window (ESW) of water (1.23 V) and severe dissolution of electrodes in aqueous electrolytes have proven bottlenecks to enabling high energy density and long lifespan of ASIBs. Here, a molecular crowding electrolyte is introduced, featuring nonflammable polyethylene glycol dimethyl ether (PED) as a crowding agent and a hydrogen bond receptor to further diminish the water activity. The 4.5 m (mol kg−1) NaClO4‐4 wt% H2O‐96 wt% PED electrolyte displayed an impressive ESW of 3.4 V, all while maintaining a moderate salt concentration of 4.5 m. Meanwhile, this electrolyte demonstrated substantial mitigation of vanadium dissolution in Na3V2(PO4)3. Consequently, in a comprehensive evaluation, the aqueous NaTi2(PO4)3||Na3V2(PO4)3 full cell exhibited an energy density of 47 Wh kg−1 at 1 C with a 74% retention after 100 cycles, and displayed negligible capacity decay (≈0.014% per cycle) at 5 C in 1000 cycles with high average coulombic efficiency of 99.8%. This work offers a universal strategy for the design of aqueous electrolytes with wide ESW and the ability to effectively suppress vanadium dissolution.

High voltage electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries with micro-sized silicon anodes

Micro-sized silicon anodes can significantly increase the energy density of lithium-ion batteries with low cost. However, the large silicon volume changes during cycling cause cracks for both organic-inorganic interphases and silicon particles. The liquid electrolytes further penetrate the cracked silicon particles and reform the interphases, resulting in huge electrode swelling and quick capacity decay. Here we resolve these challenges by designing a high-voltage electrolyte that forms silicon-phobic interphases with weak bonding to lithium-silicon alloys. The designed electrolyte enables micro-sized silicon anodes (5 µm, 4.1 mAh cm−2) to achieve a Coulombic efficiency of 99.8% and capacity of 2175 mAh g−1 for >250 cycles and enable 100 mAh LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 pouch full cells to deliver a high capacity of 172 mAh g−1 for 120 cycles with Coulombic efficiency of >99.9%. The high-voltage electrolytes that are capable of forming silicon-phobic interphases pave new ways for the commercialization of lithium-ion batteries using micro-sized silicon anodes.

Non-Electroconductive Polymer Coating on Graphite Mitigating Electrochemical Degradation of PTFE for a Dry-Processed Lithium-Ion Battery Anode.

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-based dry process for lithium-ion batteries is gaining attention as a battery manufacturing scheme can be simplified with drastically reducing environmental damage. However, the electrochemical instability of PTFE in a reducing environment has hampered the realization of the high-performance dry-processed anode. In this study, we present a non-electroconductive and highly ionic-conductive polymer coating on graphite to mitigate the electrochemical degradation of the PTFE binder and minimize the coating resistance. Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene-chlorofluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE-CFE)) coatings on the anode material effectively inhibit the electron transfer from graphite to PTFE, thereby alleviating the PTFE breakdown. The graphite polymer coatings improved initial Coulombic efficiencies of full cells from 67.2% (bare) to 79.1% (PEO) and 77.8% (P(VDF-TrFE-CFE)) and increased initial discharge capacity from 157.7 mAh g(NCM)-1 (bare) to 185.1 mAh g(NCM)-1 (PEO) and 182.5 mAh g(NCM)-1 (P(VDF-TrFE-CFE)) in the full cells. These outcomes demonstrate that PTFE degradation in the anode can be surmounted by adjusting the electron transfer to the PTFE.

Constructing a Stable Integrated Silicon Electrode with Efficient Lithium Storage Performance through Multidimensional Structural Design.

Silicon (Si) stands out as a highly promising anode material for next-generation lithium-ion batteries. However, its low intrinsic conductivity and the severe volume changes during the lithiation/delithiation process adversely affect cycling stability and hinder commercial viability. Rational design of electrode architecture to enhance charge transfer and optimize stress distribution of Si is a transformative way to enhance cycling stability, which still remains a great challenge. In this work, we fabricated a stable integrated Si electrode by combining two-dimensional graphene sheets (G), one-dimensional Si nanowires (SiNW), and carbon nanotubes (CNT) through the cyclization process of polyacrylonitrile (PAN). The integrated electrode features a G/SiNW framework enveloped by a conformal coating consisting of cyclized PAN (cPAN) and CNT. This configuration establishes interconnected electron and lithium-ion transport channels, coupled with a rigid-flexible encapsulated coating, ensuring both high conductivity and resistance against the substantial volume changes in the electrode. The unique multidimensional structural design enhances the rate performance, cyclability, and structural stability of the integrated electrode, yielding a gravimetric capacity (based on the total mass of the electrode) of 650 mAh g-1 after 1000 cycles at 3.0 A g-1. When paired with a commercial LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 cathode, the resulting full cell retains 84.8% of its capacity after 160 cycles at 2.0 C and achieves an impressive energy density of 435 Wh kg-1 at 0.5 C, indicating significant potential for practical applications. This study offers valuable insights into comprehensive electrode structure design at the electrode level for Si-based materials.

Lithiophilic Chemistry Facilitated Ultrathin Lithium for Scalable Prelithiation.

Prelithiation plays a crucial role in advancing the development of high-energy-density batteries, and ultrathin lithium (UTL) has been proven to be a promising anode prelithiation reagent. However, there remains a need to explore an adjustable, efficient, and cost-effective method for manufacturing UTL. In this study, we introduce a method for producing UTL with adjustable thicknesses ranging from 1.5 to 10 μm through blade coating of molten lithium on poly(vinylidene fluoride)-modified copper current collectors. By employing the transfer-printing method, prelithiated graphite and Si-C composite electrodes are prepared, which exhibit significantly improved initial Coulombic efficiencies of 99.60% and 99.32% in half-cells, respectively. Moreover, the energy densities of Li(NiCoMn)1/3O2 and LiFePO4 full cells assembled with the prelithiated graphite electrodes increase by 13.1% and 23.6%, respectively.

Orderly Arranged Dipoles Regulate Anion-Derived Solid-Electrolyte Interphase for Stable Lithium Metal Chemistry.

Lithium (Li) metal batteries are considered the most promising high-energy-density electrochemical energy storage devices of the next generation. However, the unstable solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) derived from electrolytes usually leads to high impedance, Li dendrites growth, and poor cyclability. Herein, the ferroelectric BaTiO3 with orderly arranged dipoles (BTOV) is integrated into the polypropylene separator as a functional layer. Detailed characterizations and theoretical calculations indicate that surface oxygen vacancies drive the phase transition of BaTiO3 materials and promote the ordered arrangement of dipoles. The strong dipole moments in BTOV can adsorb TFSI- and NO3 - anions selectively and promote their preferential reduction to form a SEI film enriched with inorganic LiF and LiNxOy species, thus facilitating the rapid transfer of Li+ and restraining the growth of Li dendrites. As a result, the Li-Li cell with the BTOV functional layer exhibits enhanced Li plating/stripping cycling with an ultra-long life of over 7000h at 0.5mAcm-2/1.0mAhcm-2. The LiFePO4 || Li (50µm) full cells display excellent cycling performance exceeding 1760 cycles and superior rate performance. This work provides a new perspective for regulating SEI chemistry by introducing ordered dipoles to control the distribution and reaction of anions.

Influence of Particle Size and Mass Loading of Hard Carbon on Sodium Ion Battery Rate Performance in Industrially Relevant Full Cells

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) represent a great opportunity for stationary storage, back-up power supply and light electric vehicle applications. Energy and power requirements for these applications needs to be satisfied. Beside material improvement, electrode microstructure plays a critical role. Herein, the influence of hard carbon (HC) particle size and mass loading on the rate performance have been comprehensively investigated. This work analyses the relative contribution of ionic resistance within the porous electrode (Rion) in SIB full cells employing relevant mass loadings. Rion was obtained by applying electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to symmetrical cells and by fitting a transmission line model (TLM) under “blocking” conditions. The relative contribution of Rion arising from HC electrodes was further compared to the charge transfer resistance (RCT) in full cell configuration utilising a three-electrode cell under “non-blocking” conditions. Results illustrate mass loading to be as far more influential on cell rate performance compared to the two particle sizes analyzed. The three-electrode study reveals the contribution of Rion to be greater than that of RCT at high mass loadings and high states of charge for the HC electrode and elucidates that the gravimetric and volumetric discharge capacity of cells is limited by the layered oxide cathode and HC electrode respectively.

Investigating the Structure and Performance of Electrodes Made by Dry and Wet Slurry Processes

Performance, cost, and safety are vital factors in producing and handling lithium-ion batteries. Using a dry process reduces the cost and environmental impact of producing large-scale lithium-ion battery electrodes significantly as solvents are eliminated. Thus, in this study, solvent-free dry electrostatic spray deposition (ESD) and conventional slurry processes were compared to uncover the influence of the manufacturing process on thick LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 (NMC 811) positive electrodes. More pressure during calendering was found necessary for the dry-made (dry) electrodes to have the same porosity, leading to more cracks within the NMC particles and better adhesion. At slower discharge rates, below 2 C, the dry electrodes exhibited a higher specific capacity or about the same capability than that of the slurry-made ones. At higher discharge rates, greater than 2 C, both types of electrodes have poor rate performance, though the slurry-made (slurry) electrodes had a slightly higher capacity. Despite more calendering-induced cracks in the dry electrodes, both electrodes had comparable long-term cycling behavior when tested in full cells with graphite-negative electrodes. This study shows the viability of using the dry-powder ESD process for manufacturing thick electrodes with high active material content, meeting the need for high energy demand.

A Comparative Study of Degradation Behaviors of LiFePO4, LiMn2O4, and LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 in Different Aqueous Electrolytes

Aqueous Li-ion batteries (ALIBs) are an important class of battery chemistries owing to the intrinsic non-flammability of aqueous electrolytes. However, water is detrimental to most cathode materials and could result in rapid cell failure. Identifying the degradation mechanisms and evaluating the pros and cons of different cathode materials are crucial to guide the materials selection and maximize their electrochemical performance in ALIBs. In this study, we investigate the stability of LiFePO4 (LFP), LiMn2O4 (LMO) and LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 (NMC) cathodes, without protective coating, in three different aqueous electrolytes, i.e., salt-in-water, water-in-salt, and molecular crowding electrolytes. The latter two are the widely reported “water-deficient electrolytes.” LFP cycled in the molecular crowding electrolyte exhibits the best cycle life in both symmetric and full cells owing to the stable crystal structure. Mn dissolution and surface reduction accelerate the capacity decay of LMO in water-rich electrolyte. On the other hand, the bulk structural collapse leads to the degradation of NMC cathodes. LMO demonstrates better full-cell performance than NMC in water-deficient aqueous electrolytes. LFP is shown to be more promising than LMO and NMC for long-cycle-life ALIB full cells, especially in the molecular crowding electrolyte. However, none of the aqueous electrolytes studied here provide enough battery performance that can compete with conventional non-aqueous electrolytes. This work reveals the degradation mechanisms of olivine, spinel, and layered cathodes in different aqueous electrolytes and yields insights into improving electrode materials and electrolytes for ALIBs.

Facilitating prelithiation of silicon carbon anode by localized high‐concentration electrolyte for high‐rate and long‐cycle lithium storage

AbstractThe commercialization of silicon‐based anodes is affected by their low initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) and capacity decay, which are attributed to the formation of an unstable solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer. Herein, a feasible and cost‐effective prelithiation method under a localized high‐concentration electrolyte system (LHCE) for the silicon–silica/graphite (Si–SiO2/C@G) anode is designed for stabilizing the SEI layer and enhancing the ICE. The thin SiO2/C layers with –NH2 groups covered on nano‐Si surfaces are demonstrated to be beneficial to the prelithiation process by density functional theory calculations and electrochemical performance. The SEI formed under LHCE is proven to be rich in ionic conductivity, inorganic substances, and flexible organic products. Thus, faster Li+ transportation across the SEI further enhances the prelithiation effect and the rate performance of Si–SiO2/C@G anodes. LHCE also leads to uniform decomposition and high stability of the SEI with abundant organic components. As a result, the prepared anode shows a high reversible specific capacity of 937.5 mAh g−1 after 400 cycles at a current density of 1 C. NCM 811‖Li‐SSG‐LHCE full cell achieves a high‐capacity retention of 126.15 mAh g−1 at 1 C over 750 cycles with 84.82% ICE, indicating the great value of this strategy for Si‐based anodes in large‐scale applications.

Effect of increasing Fe catalytic decomposition layer of ammonia on the performance and stability of ammonia electrode

In a direct ammonia proton ceramic fuel cell (DA-PCFC), attaching a catalyst layer on the surface of the ammonia electrode is known to optimize the cell's electrochemical performance and long-term stability. In this study, the Fe catalyst layer is added to the ammonia electrode of the full cell which is prepared with the structure Ni– BaZr0.1Ce0.7Y0.1Yb0.1O3-δ(BZCYYb) (support layer)|Ni-BZCYYb (active layer)|BZCYYb|La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ to investigate its impact on the electrochemical performance and stability of the electrode. Under the conditions of 700 oC and 20 ml min−1 ammonia fuel, the peak power densities of cells with and without the Fe layer reach 585.051 and 463.671 mW cm−2, respectively. It is evident that the addition of the Fe catalytic layer significantly improves the electrochemical performance of the cell. Stability tests are carried out for cells with and without the Fe layer at 650 oC, 0.36 A cm−2, and 0.32 A cm−2 constant current discharge. After discharge for 313 and 372 h, both cells show good stability, and the discharge curves of the two cells are consistent after 100 h. The high M-N binding energy of the Fe catalytic layer improved the initial performance of the cell, but this improvement is not sustained over the stability.