A Novel Method to Purposely Modify the Anode/Electrolyte Interface in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

A novel method is proposed to modify the Ni-yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) anode/electrolyte interface with Ni-Sm_0.2Ce_0.8O_2-δ (SDC) or SDC composite particles. Scanning electron microscopy results confirm that nano-sized NiO-SDC particles are only loaded at the anode/electrolyte interface rather than the whole NiO-YSZ support. With the addition of the Ni-SDC composite, the peak power density of the Ni-YSZ anode increases by 24.7% and 18.8% in wet hydrogen and methane at 750 °C, respectively. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results show that these improvements are attributed to the promotion of charge transfer and gas diffusion with the addition of the Ni-SDC composite. Substituting the Ni-SDC composite with pure SDC can further improve the electroactivity of the Ni-YSZ anode. The peak power density of the single cell with the Ni-YSZ/SDC anode rises by 41.7% and 43.4% compared with that of the Ni-YSZ anode in wet hydrogen and methane at 750 °C, respectively.