High Energy Conversion Efficiency Research Articles

Orientation-Related Giant Photothermoelectric Energy Conversion in Quasi-One-Dimensional van der Waals TaSe3 Crystals.

Featuring the capabilities of self-power, low dark current, and broadband response, photothermoelectric (PTE) detection demonstrates great potential for application in the military and civilian fields. The development of materials with an intrinsically high efficiency for PTE energy conversion and the in-depth study of its thermoelectric properties on the device performance are of great significance. Here, we reported a quasi-one-dimensional (quasi-1D) van der Waals (vdW) TaSe3 crystal as a promising material candidate for PTE detection. Benefiting from the 1D confined effect for photon and electron transport, the TaSe3 nanoribbon crystallized along the atomic chain direction demonstrates a size-dependent thermal conductivity and Seebeck coefficient. With the nanoribbon width downscaled from 5.7 μm to 200 nm, the resulting PTE detector reveals a pronouncedly enhanced photoresponsivity by more than 1 order of magnitude, demonstrating an extremely high value of 33 V/W among the best state-of-the-art PTE devices. More importantly, the anisotropic electrical, thermal, and thermoelectric properties in the TaSe3 crystal contribute to the orientation-related PTE energy conversion, yielding an anisotropic ratio of photoresponsivity as large as 2.5 under 532 nm light illumination. Our study provides experimental evidence of orientation-related giant PTE photodetection in the quasi-1D vdW TaSe3 crystal, which provides possibilities for the development of future optoelectronic devices.

Engineering a Binding Peptide for Oriented Immobilization and Efficient Bioelectrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction of Multicopper Oxidases.

Enzymatic fuel cells (EFCs) are emerging as promising technologies in renewable energy and biomedical applications, utilizing enzyme catalysts to convert the chemical energy of renewable biomass into electrical energy, known for their high energy conversion efficiency and excellent biocompatibility. Currently, EFCs face challenges of poor stability and catalytic efficiency at the cathodes, necessitating solutions to enhance the oriented immobilization of multicopper oxidases for improved heterogeneous electron transfer efficiency. This study successfully identified a surface-binding peptide (SBP, 13 amino acids) derived from a methionine-rich fragment (MetRich, 53 amino acids) in E. coli CueO through semirational design. The first phase of engineering focused on the structural characteristics of MetRich, pinpointing fragment N394-H406 (SBP 1.0, corresponding to variant CueO-M12) as the key region dominating the binding. Subsequent site-saturation mutagenesis, combined with electrochemical screening, yielded three variants, and among them, the variant CueO-M12-1 (CueO-M12 H398I) exhibited a more uniform favorable orientation with a 1.38-fold increase in current density. Further electrocatalytic kinetics analysis revealed a significant 21.2-fold improvement in kinetics current density (Jk) compared with that of CueO-WT, leading to the development of SBP 2.0. When SBPs were fused to laccase from Bacillus pumilus (BpL) and fungal bilirubin oxidase from Myrothecium verrucaria (MvBOD), respectively, they transformed a sluggish adsorption process into a rapid and oriented one. In addition, compared with SBP 1.0, SBP 2.0 endows BpL and MvBOD with enhanced electrocatalytic capabilities for oxygen reduction and glucose/O2 EFC performance. The engineered SBPs are promising for serving as a versatile "glue" to enable the immobilization of oxidoreductases in an oriented manner, which leads to a breakthrough in bioelectrocatalysis and thereby overcoming the current bottleneck of EFCs.

Recent Developments in Electrospun Nanofiber-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerators: Materials, Structure, and Applications

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have garnered significant attention due to their high energy conversion efficiency and extensive application potential in energy harvesting and self-powered devices. Recent advancements in electrospun nanofibers, attributed to their outstanding mechanical properties and tailored surface characteristics, have meant that they can be used as a critical material for enhancing TENGs performance. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the developments in electrospun nanofiber-based TENGs. It begins with an exploration of the fundamental principles behind electrospinning and triboelectricity, followed by a detailed examination of the application and performance of various polymer materials, including poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), polyamide (PA), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), and other significant polymers. Furthermore, this review analyzes the influence of diverse structural designs—such as fiber architectures, bionic configurations, and multilayer structures—on the performance of TENGs. Applications across self-powered devices, environmental energy harvesting, and wearable technologies are discussed. The review concludes by highlighting current challenges and outlining future research directions, offering valuable insights for researchers and engineers in the field.

Evaluating the electronic and structural basis of carbon selenide-based quantum dots as photovoltaic design materials: A DFT and ML analysis

We present a new study on the design, discovery and space generation of carbon selenide based photovoltaic (PV) materials. By extending acceptors and leveraging density functional theory (DFT) and machine learning (ML) analysis, we discover new QDs with remarkable PV properties. We employ various ML models, to correlate the exciton binding energy (Eb) of 938 relevant compounds from literature with their molecular descriptors of structural features that influence their performance. Our study demonstrates the potential of ML approaches in streamlining the design and discovery of high-efficiency PV materials. Also the RDKit computed molecular descriptors correlates with PV parameters revealed maximum absorption (λmax) ranges of 509–531 nm, light harvesting efficiency (LHE) above 92 %, Open Circuit Voltage (Voc) of 0.22–0.45 V, and short Circuit (Jsc) currents of 37.92–42.75 mA/cm2. Their Predicted Power Conversion Efficiencies (PCE) using the Scharber method reaches upto 09–13 %. This study can pave the way for molecular descriptor-based design of new PV materials, promising a paradigm shift in the development of high-efficiency solar energy conversion technologies.

Multi-objective optimization and dynamic characteristic analysis of solid oxide fuel cell - Supercritical carbon dioxide brayton cycle hybrid system

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are widely used in distributed power generation systems due to their high energy conversion efficiency, low emissions. Therefore, investigating the dynamic characteristics of fuel cell integration systems is significant for ensuring the efficient and stable operation of SOFC integrated systems. In this study, an SOFC integrated system with a supercritical CO2 Brayton cycle as the bottoming cycle is proposed. A dynamic model is established to investigate the dynamic characteristics of this system under optimal operating conditions. This integrated system is optimized from the perspectives of two objectives: energy conversion efficiency and operational cost. Using the Pareto frontier, the optimal solutions are a system electrical efficiency of 61.21 % and a total cost rate of 4583.8 $/hour. These optimized results are used as steady-state design points for the integrated system. At the steady-state design point, flow and voltage perturbation simulation experiments are conducted on the integrated system to analyze the dynamic characteristics of key system parameters. This study provides a theoretical foundation for the control structure design of SOFC integrated systems.

Janus Photothermal Films with Orientated Plasmonic Particle-in-Cavity Surfaces Enabling Heat Control in Solar-Thermal-Electric Generators.

Solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs) consisting of solar absorbers and thermoelectric generators (TEGs) can utilize solar energy to generate electrical power. However, performances of STEGs are limited by the heat losses of solar absorbers in air, which become more and more significant with an increase in the solar absorbing area. Herein, we describe the preparation of Au@AgPd nanostructure monolayer/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) Janus photothermal films with broadband plasmonic absorption in the visible and near-infrared regions. By uniaxially stretching the Janus film, Au@AgPd can align along the stretching direction, which creates particle-in-cavity structures on the PVA surface. Benefiting from the oriented plasmonic particle-in-cavity configuration, the Janus films effectively convert sunlight into heat, trap the heat within their micrometer-depth structure, and facilitate its transfer along the direction of the nanostructure orientation. Integration of the Janus films with commercial TEGs allows thermal concentration onto a small thermoelectric surface, yielding an open-circuit voltage of 308 mV under 102 mW/cm2 natural sunlight illumination. Heat losses in commercial TEGs integrated with Janus films are reduced by approximately 50% while maintaining the same voltage output. Furthermore, incorporating the Janus films into a conventional STEG with carbon-based solar absorbers significantly enhances solar-thermal-electric conversion performance, achieving an output power density of 1.3 W m-2. Our design of Janus photothermal films with oriented particle-in-cavity surfaces can be extended to various solar-thermal systems for high-efficiency solar energy conversion and heat management.

Preparation and Electrocatalytic Properties of One-Dimensional Nanorod-Shaped N, S Co-Doped Bimetallic Catalysts of FeCuS-N-C

Metal air batteries have gradually attracted public attention due to their advantages such as high power density, high energy density, high energy conversion efficiency, and clean and green products. Reasonable design of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts with high cost-effectiveness, high activity, and high stability is of great significance. Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have the advantages of large specific surface area, high porosity, and designability, which make them widely used in many fields, especially in catalysis. This paper starts with regulating and optimizing the composition and structure of MOFs. A series of N, S co-doped electrocatalysts FeCuS-N-C were prepared by two high-temperature pyrolysis processes using N-doped carbon hollow nanorods derived from ZIF-8 as the substrate. The one-dimensional nanorod material derived from this MOF exhibits excellent electrocatalytic ORR performance (Eonset = 0.998 V, E1/2 = 0.874 V). When used as the air cathode catalyst for zinc air batteries and assembled into liquid ZABs, the battery discharge curve was calculated and found to have a maximum power density of 142.7 mW cm−2, a specific capacity of 817.1 mAh gZn−1, and a cycling stability test of over 400 h. This study provides an innovative approach for designing and optimizing non-precious metal catalysts for zinc air batteries.

(Invited) Development of High Entropy Catalysts for Efficient Electrochemical Fuel Production

Electrochemical fuel production methods, such as water splitting, ammonia, and synthetic hydrocarbon production, are at the forefront of sustainable energy resource development. However, the journey to commercialization is fraught with obstacles, particularly in creating active and stable electrocatalysts. This is a critical area of study, as these catalysts are the foundation of electrochemical water splitting for H2 production, nitrogen (NRR) and nitrate (NitRR) reduction reactions for ammonia production and CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) for synthetic hydrocarbon synthesis. Therefore, pursuing higher metal utilization efficiency and developing non-precious elements-based catalysts are crucial to ensure the feasibility of cost-effective hydrogen production systems. High entropy catalysts (HEC) with five or more metals are solid solution alloys with unique structures and electrochemical properties. The noble and non-noble metal-based HEC design strategy with strong metal support interaction (SMSI) and porous surfaces amplifies the extrinsic electrocatalytic activity, ensuring high durability over harsh electrochemical conditions for low maintenance and cost-efficiency. The main challenge lies in enhancing their extrinsic activity via catalyst-support interactions for efficient electrochemical reactions. To address this significant and persistent technical barrier, our research is focused on the intensive search for efficient, durable, and inexpensive HEC with high solar energy conversion efficiency for efficient electrochemical water splitting, hydrocarbon conversion reaction, and electrochemical ammonia production processes, thereby making a substantial contribution to the field of sustainable energy resources. Figure 1

Ultra-Low Loaded Platinum Via Plasma-Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition for the Fuel Electrode Active Layer in Steam Reversible Solid Oxide Cells

Reversible solid oxide cells (rSOCs) are crucial energy devices in sustainable energy systems, offering efficient energy conversion and storage solutions through hydrogen. Conventional SOFC/SOEC operating temperatures are above 700°C; at these temperatures, the cells benefit from high energy conversion efficiencies due to facilitated electrochemical reactions and effective waste heat utilization. Despite their advantages, commercial rSOCs face hurdles including suboptimal performance in the intermediate temperature range of 500-700°C, limited lifespan, and elevated operational costs. Addressing these issues, significant progress has been made in electrode fabrication, particularly through advanced semiconductor fabrication methods such as atomic layer deposition (ALD). In this study, we explore the application of plasma-enhanced ALD (PEALD) for depositing exceptionally low loadings of platinum on Ni-yttria stabilized zirconia (Ni-YSZ) fuel electrodes, aiming to enhance both performance and stability. Employing this novel approach, we achieved precise control over the Pt nanoparticle deposition process, resulting in a catalyst loading of only 0.2 µg/cm2. Experimental results demonstrated that rSOC samples with 10 cycles of PEALD Pt exhibited a 20% increase in maximum power density (548 vs. 479 mW/cm2 at 700°C) and an 18% increase in current density (1260 vs. 1070 mA/cm2 at 1.5 V) compared to the bare samples. Notably, these improvements were achieved without any observable performance degradation over 50 hours of operation at 700°C with 50% humidified hydrogen. Density functional theory (DFT) simulations were employed to elucidate the mechanisms contributing to the enhanced activity, revealing that the nano-scale Pt deposition promotes efficient hydrogen oxidation and evolution reactions. These findings highlight the potential of PEALD for rSOC manufacturing, enabling the creation of highly active and stable electrodes with minimal precious metal loading. The outcomes of this study suggest that such advancements could lead to more economically viable and sustainable hydrogen energy solutions, aligning with broader goals of energy security and environmental sustainability. This work provides a compelling case for the wider application of nano-engineered catalysts in high-performance electrochemical systems at intermediate temperature ranges.

Review on Maximum Power Point Tracking Control Strategy Algorithms for Offshore Floating Photovoltaic Systems

Floating photovoltaic systems are rapidly gaining popularity due to their advantages in conserving land resources and their high energy conversion efficiency, making them a promising option for photovoltaic power generation. However, these systems face challenges in offshore environments characterized by high salinity, humidity, and variable irradiation, which necessitate effective maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technologies to optimize performance. Currently, there is limited research in this area, and few reviews analyze it comprehensively. This paper provides a thorough review of MPPT techniques applicable to floating photovoltaic systems, evaluating the suitability of various methods under marine conditions. Traditional algorithms require modifications to address the drift phenomena under uniform irradiation, while different GMPPT techniques exhibit distinct strengths and limitations in partial shading conditions (PSCs). Hardware reconfiguration technologies are not suitable for offshore use, and while sampled data-based techniques are simple, they carry the risk of erroneous judgments. Intelligent technologies face implementation challenges. Hybrid algorithms, which can combine the advantages of multiple approaches, emerge as a more viable solution. This review aims to serve as a valuable reference for engineers researching MPPT technologies for floating photovoltaic systems.

Superhydrophobic Coatings with Synergistically Enhanced Anti/Deicing Performance by Optically/Electrically Assisted Heating

Surface icing issues have a significant impact on industries such as aviation, transportation, and construction. Superhydrophobic surfaces can delay ice formation due to their liquid‐repellent properties, but their effectiveness is not pronounced in extremely cold environments. Electric heating coatings can effectively prevent ice formation, but they have limitations in environments with insufficient electrical energy supply. The anti‐icing effect of photothermal superhydrophobic coatings is restricted under conditions of insufficient sunlight. To enhance the ice‐preventing performance of superhydrophobic coatings in extremely cold environments, this article employs a template spraying method to prepare a carbon black and graphene composite coating that provides superhydrophobic passive anti‐icing and photo/electrothermal active deicing capabilities. The micro‐nanostructured superhydrophobic surface exhibits exceptional ice‐preventing performance. The excellent electrothermal and photothermal performance, along with high energy conversion efficiency, significantly enhance the coating's deicing efficiency. Under the synergistic effect of solar and electrical energy, the ice layer is completely melted within just 135 s. Furthermore, the material possesses excellent durability (resistance to mechanical wear, acid and alkali corrosion, and UV aging), as well as thermal stability. This research provides new avenues and insights for the development of advanced anti‐icing and deicing materials for applications in aviation, transportation, construction, and other fields.

Structural and Phase Engineering of a Hierarchical 2D-2D Nickel MOF/Hydroxide-Derived Ni0.85Se/NiTe2 Heterointerface for Robust HER, OER, and Overall Water Splitting.

The development of a nonnoble metal-based cost-effective, efficient, and durable bifunctional electrocatalyst is crucial to achieving the goal of carbon neutrality. In this study, a structural and interfacial engineering approach is employed to design a 2D-2D hierarchical nickel MOF/nickel hydroxide-derived nickel selenide/nickel telluride dual-phase material through a single-step selenotellurization process. The rational design of highly ordered nanoarchitectures provides well-defined voids and ample pathways for ion diffusion. Furthermore, hierarchical nickel selenide/nickel telluride works synergistically at heterojunctions, providing a local ion enrichment mechanism for the catalytic process. As a result, Ni0.85Se/NiTe2@Ni-NH@CC needs an overpotential of 69 and 240 mV to deliver a current density of 10 mA cm-2 for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), respectively, with an outstanding stability observed for over 100 h. Moreover, the Ni0.85Se/NiTe2@Ni-NH@CC (+, -) device exhibits excellent overall water-splitting performance with a cell voltage of 1.50 V at 10 mA cm-2 and can be operated steadily for >100 h at 100 mA cm-2. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate favorable kinetics for H-adsorption at the selenotelluride heterojunction, thereby promoting the HER. This work highlights a new approach for designing a unique nanoarchitecture of MOF/hydroxide-derived selenotelluride heterojunctions for high-efficiency energy conversion applications.

High energy conversion efficiency and cycle durability of solar-powered self-sustaining light-assisted rechargeable zinc–air batteries system

The issue of energy supply in outdoor and remote areas has become a significant challenge. Solar-powered self-sustaining rechargeable zinc-air batteries (RZABs) offer a viable energy solution for off-grid regions. However, there has been no specific study on the technical compatibility and adaptability of the solar power generation system and RZABs system, as well as the efficiency of energy conversion and storage in such solar-powered RZABs systems. To address these challenges, this study developed a solar-powered self-sustaining photo-assisted RZABs system based on a photo-responsive polyterthiophene (pTTh) cathode. This system employs pTTh with photo-responsive properties as the cathode catalyst for RZABs, which not only significantly reduces the overpotential of the cathode but also enhances the performance of the RZABs and the overall energy conversion efficiency (reaching 16.2 %). In practical applications, the system exhibits excellent stability, operating continuously within a wide temperature range of -15 to 40 °C, and demonstrating a stable cycling operation capability of up to 33 days. It provides reliable, low-cost power support for electronic devices such as mobile phones, flashlights, GPS units, and small pollutant detection systems, greatly improving the practicality of these devices in off-grid areas.

Spherical Ru/FeOx composite as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting in neutral media

Electrochemical water splitting stands out as a promising technology for H2 production, due to its simplicity and high energy conversion efficiency. Therefore, it is a key issue to develop and design efficient catalysts for overall water splitting (OWS), especially in neutral media. Herein, the present study presents a stable bifunctional electrocatalyst, namely a spherical structure consisting of ruthenium and iron oxide composite supported on iron foam (Ru/FeOx), which was prepared using a simple two-step process. In 1.0 M PBS, the optimized Ru/FeOx-300 demonstrates low overpotentials of 30 and 212 mV for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at 10 mA cm−2, respectively. More impressively, Ru/FeOx-300 requires only 1.505 V to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and exhibits superior electrochemical stability for 24 h in a two-electrode neutral electrolyzer. The outstanding catalytic performance and stability of Ru/FeOx-300 nanospheres for water splitting are attributed to the binder-free integrated structure, the enhanced charge transfer facilitated and the synergistic effect between Ru and FeOx. This study offers a novel approach to the development of high-efficiency electrocatalysts for overall water splitting in neutral media.

Ultra-broadband absorber and perfect thermal emitter for high-efficiency solar energy absorption and conversion

This study proposes a pyramid-shaped solar absorber designed with multi-layered Ti-SiO2 ring stacked. The structure achieves an average absorption efficiency of 98.03 % over the range of 280–4000 nm, and under AM1.5 spectral conditions, the weighted average absorption efficiency reaches 97.66 %, the bandwidth with an absorption efficiency greater than 90 % reaches 3750 nm. To explore the reason for achieving ultra-broadband absorption with this structure, the electromagnetic field distribution at three absorption peaks was calculated. The results revealed that the resonance between the polarization direction of the three-layer circular ring stacked structure and the plasmon resonance at the junction of Ti and SiO2 contribute to the model's capability for ultra-broadband high-efficiency absorption. At the same time, the thermal emissivity of the structure was calculated at high temperatures of 1000 K and 2000 K, both exceeding 97 %. Furthermore, due to the fully symmetrical design, the absorber is polarization-independent. It was found through calculations that whether in TM mode or TE mode, as the incident angle varies from 0° to 60°, the average absorption efficiency of the absorber changes only by 11.16 %, thereby verifying the structure's excellent insensitivity to incident light angles. In summary, all these characteristics indicate that the model has excellent application prospects in fields such as solar energy collection and photothermal conversion.

Alternative Propulsion Systems and Low/Zero Carbon Fuels for Different Marine Vessels

Abstract In 2022, shipping was responsible for around 706 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, up 5% from 2020 and back to 2017-2018 levels. To accelerate the energy transition and reduce emissions in this sector, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set ambitious goals requiring all stakeholders’ radical actions. Several solutions have been proposed such as cruise speed reduction, on-board installation of a Carbon Capture and Storage system, use of low/zero carbon fuels in conventional internal combustion engines, and introduction or replacement of the main and auxiliary engines with novel technologies. Thanks to their high energy conversion efficiency, and reduced environmental impact, the interest in fuel cell-based systems for shipping propulsion has been rising in the last few years. In this work, the replacement of fossil fuel-based marine engines with fuel cell technology is analysed from technical and environmental points of view. A preliminary technical assessment, aiming at defining different powertrain configurations, is performed by starting from the characterization of the selected ships, in terms of installed power, navigation routes, and load profiles. The feasibility of the proposed solutions is evaluated by considering the fuel consumption and the emissions avoided with respect to the conventional solutions.

Engineering the interfacial hetero-structure for high-current-density hydrogen evolution

Modulating the hetero-structures with abundant interfaces in catalyst is a feasible but challenging strategy to improve the catalytic performance. In this work, a highly efficient catalyst (R-CoMoOx/Ni (Co)) was prepared with plentiful interfacial structures to accelerate the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), which contained both reduced CoO and MoO2 as a R-CoMoOx substrate and metallic Ni (Co) particles as the catalytic center. The combination of CoO and MoO2 with a Co-O-Mo local structure in R-CoMoOx led to an electron-enriched Co center to catch the dissociated H+, while the abundant interfacial interaction between R-CoMoOx and Ni (Co) could accelerate the charge transfer and then facilitate the production of H2 through a fast Volmer-Tafel pathway. As a result, the integrated R-CoMoOx/Ni (Co) catalyst could drive alkaline HER with ultra-low overpotentials of 16 mV for 10 mA cm−2 (25 °C) and 186 mV for 1000 mA cm−2 (60 °C), respectively, with a good stability over 100 h. Moreover, by coupling with RuO2 electrode in an anion exchange membrane system, it could achieve 1000 mA cm−2 at 1.78 V for overall water splitting with a high energy conversion efficiency of 70.4 %. The H2 production cost at 1000 mA cm−2 was merely $ 0.952 per gasoline gallon equivalent, much less than the target cost of the US Department of Energy.

Characterization of Oxygen Diffusion and Catalytic Behavior of Composite Materials in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Using the Non-destructive Adler-Lane-Steele Method

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are technologically interesting because they provide high-efficiency energy conversion via an electrochemical reaction within the cells. To bring SOFC to market, researchers must develop highly electroactive, low-cost devices that are chemically stable in both high (800 – 1000 °C) and low (600 – 800 °C) temperatures, as well as optimize oxygen reduction in electrodes. The electrochemical performance of SOFC is highly dependent on the catalytic activity (or catalyst behaviours) of the electrode materials involved in the oxygen reduction reaction due to the slower oxygen reduction kinetics at lower temperatures. Understanding the fundamental properties of oxygen self-diffusion in solid-state ionic systems is critical for developing nextgeneration electrolyte and electrode material compositions and microstructures that enable SOFCs to operate at lower temperatures more effectively, durably, and affordably. To date, the most common method for evaluating electrocatalytic performance is electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), which causes sample damage due to its set-up procedure. As a result, modelling approaches have been used to better understand the reaction mechanism, oxygen diffusion coefficient, and kinetics of SOFC electrode reactions, including the mixed ionic electronic conductor (MIEC)-based electrode. Several models have recently been developed to represent the reaction mechanisms of SOFCs, with Adler-Lane-Steele (ASL) mathematical theory believed to be suitable for predicting oxygen gas diffusion through the pores of the MIEC-based materials. Hence, the aim of this paper is to validate the area-specific resistance of composite electrodes using the ASL modeling technique rather than the standard EIS analysis. The findings are significant in contributing to the development of a new non-destructive method for analyzing the catalytic behavior of SOFC components.

An active and durable perovskite electrode with reversibly phase transition-induced exsolution for protonic ceramic cells

Protonic ceramic cells (PCCs) possess great application potential, attributed to their cleanliness and high energy conversion efficiency. However, designing active air electrodes with both high stability is challenging. Herein, we report a nanospinel-modified perovskite oxide, Nd0.5Ba0.5Mn0.7Co0.15Ni0.15O3−δ-(CoxNiy)3O4 (CNO@NBMCN), obtained by a reversibly phase transition-induced exsolution process, as a highly active and durable air electrode for PCCs. Phase-field simulations reveal the intrinsic mechanism of nanoparticles strongly pinning to the substrate in a high-temperature oxidizing environment. The CNO@NBMCN electrode exhibits remarkable low area specific resistance (0.38 Ω cm2 at 600 °C) and exceptional stability (degradation rate 0.01 % h−1). It is confirmed by soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy that the construction of the heterostructure leads to more distortion in Mn–O octahedra and weaker metal–oxygen bonds, thereby contributing to the formation of oxygen vacancies. And the exceptionally high durability supported by both fast ion surface exchange and charge transfer at triple-phase boundaries. A single cell with the CNO@NBMCN air electrode achieves outstanding performances in the fuel cell (peak power density of 1.28 W cm−2) and electrolysis modes (current density of −2.14 A cm−2 at 1.3 V), recorded at 700 °C. This work inspires innovative design concepts for robust heterogeneous electrocatalysts.

High-performance Sr1.9Fe1.45Pd0.05Mo0.5O6−δ electrode for reversible symmetrical solid oxide cells

Reversible symmetrical solid oxide cells (RS-SOCs) have attracted much attention due to their high energy conversion efficiency and fabrication simplicity. The double perovskite with the general formula A2BB’O6 is often used as the electrode material. In this study, Fe was substituted with Pd in the B-site of Sr1.9Fe1.5Mo0.5O6−δ to enhance the electrochemical performance above 50 %. The characterization results showed that the doping of Pd promoted the kinetics of the electrode reaction and thus improved the electrochemical activity. A maximum power density of 870 mW cm−2 at 800 ℃ on a La0.9Sr0.1Ga0.8Mg0.2O3–δ (LSGM)-supported symmetrical cell with Sr1.9Fe1.45Pd0.05Mo0.5O6-δ electrode was achieved in the solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs).