In-plane Electrical Resistivity Research Articles

Quantifying Sheet Resistance and in-Plane Electrical Resistivity of PEM Water Electrolyzer Components

PEM water electrolysis is a promising technology for renewable hydrogen production. However, improving the performance and efficiency of PEM water electrolyzers requires a thorough understanding of the properties and behavior of their components. Here we present a robust and effective method for determining the sheet resistance of porous electrodes commonly used in technologies such as PEM water electrolyzers. For this, a new analysis method was developed that relies on industrial printed circuit boards, allowing resistance measurements at ten different length scales ranging from 250 µm to 2500 µm and a 1D mapping of the resistance at each length scale. The sheet resistance of a commercially available reference material is characterized in order to validate the method, and the impact of compression force on the probe-sample contact is demonstrated. Furthermore, the sheet resistance of commonly used PEM water electrolyzer components is investigated. This includes the discussion of the gas diffusion layer, porous transport layer, and catalyst layers coated onto a membrane. Besides, by using an image processing-based method, the thickness distribution of the catalyst layers can be obtained and is correlated with the electrical in-plane resistivity. The results indicate that the sheet resistance is a more relevant parameter than the in-plane electrical resistivity to characterize catalyst layers. We will present a ranking of different PEM water electrolyzer components according to their sheet resistance for both anode and cathode catalyst layers. Acknowledgement This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the PROMET-H2 grant agreement No 862253.

Nickel/silver in-situ modification of wearable and stretchable electrodes for textile-based piezoelectric applications

In recent years, smart wearable textiles such as sensors and energy generators have been utilized for various purposes. Such wearable devices require a stretchable and conductive component to communicate with different sections of wearable gadgets and finally send the signals to the processor. This work presents a scalable strategy for the fabrication of electrically enhanced conductive weft-knitted fabric based on a special pattern modified with the in-situ synthesis of two different conductive components consisting of nickel and silver nanoparticles. In addition, in order to investigate their electrical performance, textile-based piezoelectric using the polyvinylidene fluoride-barium titanate (PVDF-BaTiO3) electrospun nanofiber as an active layer was fabricated. The tensile behavior in both directions results revealed that modification with nickel/silver reduced Young’s modulus, maximum specific stress, and maximum strain, although there was no significant alteration in their physical properties. This electrical characterization showed that fabrics possessed piezoelectric output voltage of 0.41, 0.71, and 0.47 times in comparison to aluminum foil in untreated, nickel-treated, and silver-treated cases, respectively. Moreover, the dynamic in-plane electrical sheet resistance demonstrated that untreated, nickel treated and silver-treated electrodes are capable of maintaining their conductivity up to rupture strain under tensile loading conditions in both directions. Indeed, this work provides an approach for highly conductive textile-based electrode fabrication for textile-based piezoelectric applications.

Rapid suppression of charge density wave transition in LaSb2 under pressure

ABSTRACT LaSb is found to be an example of an exceptionally pressure sensitive and tuneable, two-dimensional compound. In-plane electrical resistivity of LaSb under pressure up to 12.9 kbar was measured in zero and applied magnetic field. The charge density wave transition (observed at ∼350 K at ambient pressure) is completely suppressed by 6–7 kbar with a significant (in comparison with the ambient pressure) increase in Fermi surface gapping and transition hysteresis just above ambient pressure.

Fluctuation magnetoconductivity in superconducting Ca10(Pt4As8)(Fe2As2)5 single crystal

Fluctuation-induced conductivity up to μ0H = 14 T for superconducting Ca10(Pt4As8)(Fe2As2)5 single crystal was evaluated from the measured in-plane electrical resistivity, and it was analyzed by Aslamazov-Larkin (AL) theory for zero magnetic field and Ullah and Dorsey (UD) scaling method for magnetic field. A dimensional crossover of superconducting fluctuations from low-temperature three-dimension to high-temperature two-dimension was observed. When the dimensional crossover occurs, a temperature region in which two-dimensional and three-dimensional fluctuations occur simultaneously was found in the intermediate temperature region.

KCo2As2 : A new portal for the physics of high-purity metals

High-quality single crystals of ${\mathrm{KCo}}_{2}{\mathrm{As}}_{2}$ with the body-centered tetragonal ${\mathrm{ThCr}}_{2}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$ structure were grown using KAs self flux. Structural, magnetic, thermal, and electrical transport properties were investigated. No clear evidence for any phase transitions was found in the temperature range 2--300 K. The in-plane electrical resistivity $\ensuremath{\rho}$ versus temperature $T$ is highly unusual, showing a ${T}^{4}$ behavior below 30 K and an anomalous positive curvature up to 300 K, which is different from the linear behavior expected from the Bloch-Gr\"uneisen theory for electron scattering by acoustic phonons. This positive curvature has been previously observed in the in-plane resistivity of high-conductivity layered delafossites such as ${\mathrm{PdCoO}}_{2}$ and ${\mathrm{PtCoO}}_{2}$. The in-plane $\ensuremath{\rho}(T\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0)=0.36\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}$ cm of ${\mathrm{KCo}}_{2}{\mathrm{As}}_{2}$ is exceptionally small for this class of compounds. The material also exhibits a magnetoresistance at low $T$ which attains a value of about 40% at $T=2$ K and magnetic field $H=80$ kOe. The magnetic susceptibility $\ensuremath{\chi}$ of ${\mathrm{KCo}}_{2}{\mathrm{As}}_{2}$ is isotropic and about an order of magnitude smaller than the values for the related compounds ${\mathrm{SrCo}}_{2}{\mathrm{As}}_{2}$ and ${\mathrm{BaCo}}_{2}{\mathrm{As}}_{2}$. The $\ensuremath{\chi}$ increases above 100 K, which is found from our first-principles calculations to arise from a sharp peak in the electronic density of states just above the Fermi energy ${E}_{\mathrm{F}}$. Heat capacity ${C}_{\mathrm{p}}(T)$ data at low $T$ yield an electronic density of states $N({E}_{\mathrm{F}})$ that is about 36% larger than predicted by the first-principles theory. The ${C}_{\mathrm{p}}(T)$ data near room temperature suggest the presence of excited optic vibration modes, which may also be the source of the positive curvature in $\ensuremath{\rho}(T)$. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements are compared with the theoretical predictions of the band structure and Fermi surfaces. Our results show that ${\mathrm{KCo}}_{2}{\mathrm{As}}_{2}$ provides a new avenue for investigating the physics of high-purity metals.

High-density and low-density gas diffusion layers for proton exchange membrane fuel cells: Comparison of mechanical and transport properties

Gas diffusion layers (GDL) play multi-roles in proton exchange membrane fuel cells, including gas-water transport, thermal-electron conduction and mechanical support. Mechanical strength and transport properties are essential for GDLs. In this work, high-density (paper-type) and low density (felt-type) GDLs are scanned and reconstructed using X-ray computed tomography. Porosities under different compression ratios are compared and discussed. Effective diffusivity and liquid water permeability are calculated using pore-scale modeling and lattice Boltzmann method. Mechanical strength, anisotropic thermal-electrical resistivity for two types of GDLs are obtained using compression tests and thermal-electrical conductivity measurements. Results show that the porosity, diffusivity, permeability, and through-plane thermal-electrical conductivity of felt-type GDL are significantly higher than that of paper-type GDL owing to the higher porosity and fiber-clusters oriented along the through-plane direction. The in-plane electrical resistivity of paper-type GDL is lower than that of felt-type GDL. The mechanical strength of felt-type GDL is much lower, but the fibers of paper-type GDL are more easily to be broken because of its lower elasticity. The results obtained may guide microstructure optimization and performance improvement of GDLs.

Methods— A Simple Method to Measure In-Plane Electrical Resistance of PEM Fuel Cell and Electrolyzer Catalyst Layers

Optimizing the catalyst layer of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells and water electrolyzers requires a good understanding of its properties. The in-plane electrical resistance of the catalyst layer is a key property, which impacts the overall cell performance. In this work, we present a simple method to measure the in-plane electrical resistance of catalyst layers under various conditions based on the transfer length method. The applicability of the method was demonstrated on four examples: 1) Placing the compact setup in a climate chamber, showed that reducing the relative humidity from 95% to 40% yields a reduction of the resistivity of 15% in a fuel cell cathode catalyst layer; 2) graphitizing CNovel™ carbon support reduces the resistivity by 98% in a fuel cell cathode catalyst layer; 3) adding an electrically conductive polymer as electrode binder lowers the in-plane resistivity of a water electrolyzer anode by 50%; 4) adding IrO2-nanofibers to a low-loaded IrO2-nanoparticle anode lowers its resistivity by 60%. The broad range of applications in this work confirms the versatility of the setup enabling widespread application. The method hence contributes to an improved deconvolution of different loss mechanisms including electrical in-plane resistivity.

Epitaxial growth and thermoelectric properties of Mg3Bi2 thin films deposited by magnetron sputtering

Mg3Sb2-based thermoelectric materials attract attention for applications near room temperature. Here, Mg-Bi films were synthesized using magnetron sputtering at deposition temperatures from room temperature to 400 °C. Single-phase Mg3Bi2 thin films were grown on c-plane-oriented sapphire and Si(100) substrates at a low deposition temperature of 200 °C. The Mg3Bi2 films grew epitaxially on c-sapphire and fiber-textured on Si(100). The orientation relationships for the Mg3Bi2 film with respect to the c-sapphire substrate are (0001) Mg3Bi2‖(0001) Al2O3 and [112¯0] Mg3Bi2‖[112¯0] Al2O3. The observed epitaxy is consistent with the relatively high work of separation, calculated by the density functional theory, of 6.92 J m−2 for the Mg3Bi2 (0001)/Al2O3 (0001) interface. Mg3Bi2 films exhibited an in-plane electrical resistivity of 34 μΩ m and a Seebeck coefficient of +82.5 μV K−1, yielding a thermoelectric power factor of 200 μW m−1 K−2 near room temperature.

Difference in anisotropic vortex pinning in pristine and proton-irradiated (Ca0.85La0.15)10(Pt3As8)(Fe2As2)5 single crystals

We measured the in-plane electrical resistivity of pristine and irradiated (Ca0.85La0.15)10(Pt3As8)(Fe2As2)5 single crystals in B//c and B//ab up to B = 13 T to study the difference between in-plane and out-of-plane vortex pinning and the effect of proton irradiation on these pinning. The crystal structure analyzed by the selected area electron diffraction was monoclinic in these two samples. Protons incident along the c-axis caused an expansion of the lattice constants a and b. The expansion of the lattice constants significantly increased the c-axis coherence length ξc. The vortex pinning in B//ab is well understood by an intrinsic pinning mechanism, which was attenuated by proton irradiation. On the other hand, the vortex pinning in B//c is well understood by the plastic creep theory due to point defects that are enhanced by proton irradiation.

Low-resistance electrical contact between epitaxially grown thermoelectric oxide material (Ca2CoO3)0.62CoO2 and iridium

For the integration of the thermoelectric and magneto resistive active material (Ca2CoO3)0.62CoO2 (Ca3Co4O9) into silicon technology it is mandatory to provide, apart from diffusion barriers and epitaxial growth, electrical contacts with minimal electrical resistance between this oxide and the metal contact. Epitaxial Ca3Co4O9 thin films were grown by pulsed laser deposition on yttria stabilized zirconia (Y2O3)0.09(ZrO2)0.91 (YSZ) and Ir metallized YSZ buffered single crystalline (001)-Si substrates. X-ray diffraction pole figures of these multilayer systems reveal that the Ca3Co4O9 thin film exhibit a 12-fold in-plane rotational symmetry grown on a (001)-Ir and (001)-YSZ surface, but mutually rotated by 15∘. Ir-Ca3Co4O9 thin film electrical contacts were fabricated by lateral structuring and overgrowth to allow 4-wire measurements for determining the pure Ir-Ca3Co4O9 contact current-voltage characteristic and the area specific contact resistance (ASR). We demonstrate, that the Ca3Co4O9/Ir/YSZ and Ca3Co4O9/YSZ layer system allows to realize low ASR, low in-plane electrical resistivity of the Ca3Co4O9 thin film while maintaining a high Seebeck coefficient.

Electrical Resistivity of Natural Graphite/Polymer Composite based Bipolar Plates for Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cells by Addition of Carbon Black

Conductive polymer composites with high electrical and mechanical properties are in demand for bipolar plates of phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFC). In this study, composites based on natural graphite/fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) and different ratios of carbon black are mixed and hot formed into bars. The overall content of natural graphite is replaced by carbon black (0.2 wt% to 3.0 wt%). It is found that the addition of carbon black reduces electrical resistivity and density. The density of composite materials added with carbon black 3.0 wt% is 2.168 g/cm3, which is 0.017 g/cm3 less than that of non-additive composites. In-plane electrical resistivity is 7.68 μΩm and through-plane electrical resistivity is 27.66 μΩm. Compared with non-additive composites, in-plane electrical resistivity decreases by 95.7 % and through-plane decreases by 95.9 %. Also, the bending strength is about 30 % improved when carbon black is added at 2.0 wt% compared to non-additive cases. The decrease of electrical resistivity of composites is estimated to stem from the carbon black, which is a conductive material located between melted FEP and acts a path for electrons; the increasing mechanical properties are estimated to result from carbon black filling up pores in the composites.

Study on the carrier transport mechanism in single-crystalline Br-doped SnSe2

We investigate the carrier transport mechanism in Br-doped SnSe2 single crystals by characterizing electrical properties in the high-temperature (T) region (300–500 K). In-plane electrical resistivity decreases with the introduction of Br dopant in layered SnSe2 single crystals owing to the increase of the electron carrier concentration (ne), indicating Br is an efficient electron donor for SnSe2. From the T dependence of ne, the thermally activated behavior disappears when ne exceeds approximately 1018 cm−3, suggesting degenerate conduction easily occurs by electron doping from 300 to 500 K. The Hall carrier mobility (μH) depends on T according to the relation μH ~ T−γ, and γ is significantly reduced from 1.68 to 0.52 by Br doping. This strongly evidences that the homopolar optical mode phonon, as the main scatterer for carrier transport at high T, is effectively quenched through the carrier doping.

Magnetic, thermal, and electronic-transport properties of EuMg2Bi2 single crystals

The trigonal compound EuMg2Bi2 has recently been discussed in terms of its topological band properties. These are intertwined with its magnetic properties. Here detailed studies of the magnetic, thermal, and electronic transport properties of EuMg2Bi2 single crystals are presented. The Eu{+2} spins-7/2 in EuMg2Bi2 exhibit an antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition at a temperature TN = 6.7 K, as previously reported. By analyzing the anisotropic magnetic susceptibility chi data below TN in terms of molecular-field theory (MFT), the AFM structure is inferred to be a c-axis helix, where the ordered moments in the hexagonal ab-plane layers are aligned ferromagnetically in the ab plane with a turn angle between the moments in adjacent moment planes along the c axis of about 120 deg. The magnetic heat capacity exhibits a lambda anomaly at TN with evidence of dynamic short-range magnetic fluctuations both above and below TN. The high-T limit of the magnetic entropy is close to the theoretical value for spins-7/2. The in-plane electrical resistivity rho(T) data indicate metallic character with a mild and disorder-sensitive upturn below Tmin = 23 K. An anomalous rapid drop in rho(T) on cooling below TN as found in zero field is replaced by a two-step decrease in magnetic fields. The rho(T) measurements also reveal an additional transition below TN in applied fields of unknown origin that is not observed in the other measurements and may be associated with an incommensurate to commensurate AFM transition. The dependence of TN on the c-axis magnetic field Hperp was derived from the field-dependent chi(T), Cp(T), and rho(T) measurements. This TN(Hperp) was found to be consistent with the prediction of MFT for a c-axis helix with S = 7/2 and was used to generate a phase diagram in the Hperp-T plane.

Effect of the proton irradiation on the thermally activated flux flow in superconducting SmBCO coated conductors

We investigate changes in the vortex pinning mechanism caused by proton irradiation through the measurement of the in-plane electrical resistivity for H//c in a pristine and two proton-irradiated (total doses of 1 × 1015 and 1 × 1016 cm−2) SmBa2Cu3O7-δ (SmBCO) superconducting tapes. Even though proton irradiation has no effect on the critical temperature (Tc), the resulting artificial point defect causes an increase in normal state electrical resistivity. The electrical resistivity data around Tc shows no evidence of a phase transition to the vortex glass state but only broadens with increasing magnetic field due to the vortex depinning in the vortex liquid state. The vortex depinning is well interpreted by a thermally activated flux flow model in which the activation energy shows a nonlinear temperature change {boldsymbol{U}}{boldsymbol{(}}{boldsymbol{T}},{boldsymbol{H}}{boldsymbol{)}}{boldsymbol{=}}{{boldsymbol{U}}}_{{boldsymbol{0}}}{boldsymbol{(}}{boldsymbol{H}}{boldsymbol{)}}{{boldsymbol{(}}{bf{1}}-{boldsymbol{T}}{boldsymbol{/}}{{boldsymbol{T}}}_{{boldsymbol{c}}}{boldsymbol{)}}}^{{boldsymbol{q}}} (q = 2). The field dependence of activation energy shows a {{boldsymbol{U}}}_{{bf{0}}}{boldsymbol{ sim }}{{boldsymbol{H}}}^{-{boldsymbol{alpha }}} with larger exponents above 4 T. This field dependence is mainly due to correlated disorders in pristine sample and artificially created point defects in irradiated samples. Compared with the vortex pinning due to correlated disorders, the vortex pinning due to the appropriate amount of point defects reduces the magnitude of Uo(H) in the low magnetic field region and slowly reduces Uo(H) in high magnetic fields.

Characterization of Effective In-Plane Electrical Resistivity of a Gas Diffusion Layer in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells through Freeze–Thaw Thermal Cycles

The electrical property of gas diffusion layers (GDLs) plays a significant role in influencing the overall performance of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The electrical degradation performance of GDLs has not been reported sufficiently. Understanding the electrical degradation characteristics of GDLs is vital to better fuel cell performance, higher efficiency, and longer service time. This paper investigated the effective in-plane electrical resistivity of a commercial GDL by considering environmental and assembly conditions similar to those in use for the operation of PEMFCs. The effective in-plane electrical resistivity of the GDL, subjected to a series of freeze–thaw thermal cycles, was characterized to study its progressive electrical degradation with thermal cycles. Experimental results indicated that, under low compressive loads, the effective in-plane electrical resistivity of the commercial GDL showed weak anisotropy, and was greatly influenced by the transformation of carbon fiber connection in the porous layer. In particular, the thermal aging treatment on the GDL through the first 100 freeze–thaw cycles contributed a lot to its in-plane electrical degradation performance.

Strong and Tunable Electrical Anisotropy in Type-II Weyl Semimetal Candidate WP2 with Broken Inversion Symmetry.

A transition metal diphosphide, WP2 , is a candidate for type-II Weyl semimetals (WSMs) in which spatial inversion symmetry is broken and Lorentz invariance is violated. As one of the prerequisites for the presence of the WSM state in WP2 , spatial inversion symmetry breaking in this compound has rarely been investigated. Furthermore, the anisotropy of the WP2 electrical properties and whether its electrical anisotropy can be tuned remain elusive. Angle-resolved polarized Raman spectroscopy, electrical transport, optical spectroscopy, and first-principle studies of WP2 are reported. The energies of the observed Raman-active phonons and the angle dependences of the detected phonon intensities are consistent with results obtained by first-principle calculations and analysis of the proposed crystal symmetry without spatial inversion, showing that spatial inversion symmetry is broken in WP2 . Moreover, the measured ratio (Rc /Ra ) between the crystalline c-axis and a-axis electrical resistivities exhibits a weak dependence on temperature (T) in the temperature range from 100 to 250 K, but increases abruptly at T ≤ 100 K, and then reaches the value of ≈8.0 at T = 10 K, which is by far the strongest in-plane electrical resistivity anisotropy among the reported type-II WSM candidates with comparable carrier concentrations. Optical spectroscopy study, together with the first-principle calculations on the electronic band structure, reveals that the abrupt enhancement of the electrical resistivity anisotropy at T ≤ 100 K mainly arises from a sharp increase in the scattering rate anisotropy at low temperatures. More interestingly, the Rc /Ra of WP2 at T = 10 K can be tuned from 8.0 to 10.6 as the magnetic field increases from 0 to 9 T. The so-far-strongest and magnetic-field-tunable electrical resistivity anisotropy found in WP2 can serve as a degree of freedom for tuning the electrical properties of type-II WSMs, which paves the way for the development of novel electronic applications based on type-II WSMs.

Transport properties and crystal structure of layered LaSb2

LaSb2 has a layered crystal structure along the c-axis with ∼2% difference between the in-plane orthorombic a and b axes. Here, we report on the thermal conductivity, electrical resistivity, and Seebeck coefficient from 10 to 300 K as well as the magnetoresistance at 10 K. Using the van der Pauw technique on single crystal samples, the in-plane electrical resistivity tensor has been measured and it is found to be isotropic. An anisotropic crystal structure may have isotropic properties, but in the present case, the isotropic nature stems from crystal imperfection. Single crystal X-ray diffraction provides evidence of a mixing of the in-plane a- and b-directions leading to observed diffraction intensity where systematic absences are expected. Whether the underlying structural mechanism is twinning or stacking faults is unknown, but it could be the origin of the previously observed charge density wave states, and it may also explain the high unsaturating linear magnetoresistance reported here. At ambient conditions, LaSb2 is found to be stable in air, with no sign of bulk degradation after 5 years of storage; however, some change is observed in the amorphous background scattering.

Stochastic Microstructure Reconstruction of a Binder/Carbon Fiber/Expanded Graphite Carbon Fiber Paper for PEMFCs Applications: Mass Transport and Conductivity Properties

Mass transport and conductivity properties of the carbon fiber papers (CFPs) used in gas diffusion layers are among the critical parameters that affect a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) performance. Here, instead of carbonization/graphitization in the commercial CFPs manufacturing steps, the expanded graphite (EG) is numerically added to the CFP substrate to compensate and enhance the conductivity. The microstructures of different polymer binder/carbon fiber (CF) composites with and without EG are reconstructed using a digital 3D reconstruction technique. The binder phase is discriminated as an individual phase using image processing, and the effects of different binder percentages are demonstrated. In comparing the properties, the reconstructed CFP exhibited satisfactory properties against the values of the commercial CFPs in the literature and our conducted experimental tests. For the binder/CF/EG CFPs, 1.9 W/mK of effective thermal conductivity in the through-plane direction and also 30.2 mΩ.cm of the in-plane electrical resistivity are reached, compared to 0.48–1.8 W/mK (for Sigracet and Toray papers) and 12.9 mΩ.cm (for untreated Toray TGP-H-60), in the conventional CFPs. Overall, adding EG to the CFPs substrate provides valuable properties and can be considered as a proper replacement in future design and manufacturing of CFPs.

Real-time impact damage sensing and localization in composites through embedded aligned carbon nanotube sheets

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have shown potential as a good candidate for performing strain and damage sensing in composites, however, the number of studies that have examined CNTs piezoresistive response under impact is limited. This paper investigates a novel technique for real-time damage sensing during and after impact strikes on composite laminates. In this technique, aligned CNT sheets layers are distributed through the thickness to monitor the developing damage in the host structure's impact side, mid-plane and non-impact side. This is accomplished through measuring the CNT sheets' in-plane electrical resistance changes simultaneously and linking them to the impact damage modes in the structure. The experimental results demonstrate the CNT layers' ability to detect, locate and quantify impact damage when the host structure undergoes different types of impacts. The results highlight the CNT sensing layers high sensitivity to damage accumulation.

High-pressure studies on heavy-fermion antiferromagnet CeCuBi2

We report in-plane electrical resistivity studies of CeCuBi2 and LaCuBi2 single crystals under applied pressure. At ambient pressure, CeCuBi2 is a c-axis Ising antiferromagnet with a transition temperature K. In a magnetic field applied along the c-axis at K a spin-flop transition takes place T. Applying pressure on CeCuBi2 suppresses TN at a slow rate. extrapolates to zero temperature at GPa. The critical field of the spin-flop transition displays a maximum of 6.8 T at GPa. At low temperatures, a zero-resistance superconducting state emerges upon the application of external pressure having a maximum Tc of 7 K at 2.6 GPa in CeCuBi2. High-pressure electrical-resistivity experiments on the non-magnetic reference compound LaCuBi2 reveal also a zero resistance state with similar critical temperatures in the same pressure range as CeCuBi2. The great similarity between the superconducting properties of both materials and elemental Bi suggests a common origin of the superconductivity. We discuss that the appearance of this zero resistance state superconductivity may be related to the Bi layers present in the crystalline structure of both compounds and, therefore, could be intrinsic to CeCuBi2 and LaCuBi2, however further experiments under pressure are necessary to clarify this issue.