Explore the vast range of titles available.

In light of the anticipated 50% increase in global energy demand by 2050, the demand for innovative, environmentally conscious, efficient, and dependable energy technologies is paramount. Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) offer a promising solution for sustainable energy production. This comprehensive review provides a detailed analysis of SOFCs, covering their fundamentals, materials, performance, and diverse applications, while also addressing technological challenges and future prospects. The review emphasizes the key advantages of SOFCs, including their high efficiency of up to 60% and minimal environmental impact. It explores the significance of impurity resistance and durability in materials and manufacturing processes for SOFC components. Comparative evaluations demonstrate the superior energy efficiency and ecological effects of SOFCs compared to other fuel cell technologies. SOFCs’ versatility and potential are showcased through their applications in transportation, power generation and storage, portable devices, and residential usage. However, challenges such as cost, longevity, reliability, and integration with other energy systems are identified, emphasizing the need for supportive policies and regulations. This study offers a concise yet comprehensive overview of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology. It showcases the structure of an SOFC, outlining its benefits, challenges, and the techniques used in its fabrication. The review also discusses key performance and efficiency metrics and highlights the versatile applications of SOFC in transportation, power generation, small devices, and residence .

Hexagonal perovskite-related oxides such as Ba3WVO8.5 have attracted much attention due to their unique crystal structures and significant oxide ion conduction. However, the oxide ion conductivity of Ba3WVO8.5 is not very high. Herein, we report new hexagonal perovskite-related oxides Ba3W1+xV1−xO8.5+x/2 (x = −0.1, −0.05, 0.05, 0.1, 0.25, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, and 0.75). The bulk conductivity of Ba3W1.6V0.4O8.8 was found to be 21 times higher than that of the mother material Ba3WVO8.5 at 500 °C. Maximum entropy method (MEM) neutron scattering length density (NSLD) analyses of neutron diffraction data at 800 °C experimentally visualized the oxide ion diffusion pathways through the octahedral O2 and tetrahedral O3 sites in intrinsically oxygen-deficient layers. By increasing the excess W content x in Ba3W1+xV1−xO8.5+x/2, the excess oxygen content x/2 increases, which leads to more oxygen atoms at the O2 and O3 oxygen sites, a higher minimum NSLD on the O2–O3 path, and a higher level of conductivity. Another reason for the increased conductivity of Ba3W1.6V0.4O8.8 is the lower activation energy for oxide ion conduction, which can be ascribed to the longer (W/V)–O2 and (W/V)–O3 distances due to the substitution of V atoms with large-sized W species. The present findings open new avenues in the science and technology of oxide ion conductors.

The final volume in the Handbook of Nanostructured Thin Films and Coatings set, this book examines the processing and properties of organic thin films, devices, and coatings for clean energy applications. It presents thin film solar cells based on the use of polycrystalline thin film materials, explores anodized titania nanotube array and its application in dye-sensitized solar cells, and reviews the progress and challenges of photovoltaic applications of silicon nanocrystalline materials. The book also looks at semiconductive nanocomposite films for a clean environment, thin coating technologies and applications in high temperature solid oxide fuel cells, and nanoscale organic molecular thin films for information memory applications.

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Next Generation SOFC Materials Materials Developments through Processing Proton Conducting Ceramic Fuel Cells Summary References

A high-entropy ceramic oxide is used as the cathode for the first time for proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cells (H-SOFCs). The Fe 0.6 Mn 0.6 Co 0. 6 Ni 0.6 Cr 0.6 O 4 (FMCNC) high-entropy spinel oxide has been successfully prepared, and the in situ chemical stability test demonstrates that the FMCNC material has good stability against CO 2 . The first-principles calculation indicates that the high-entropy structure enhances the properties of the FMCNC material that surpasses their individual components, leading to lower O 2 adsorption energy for FMCNC than that for the individual components. The H-SOFC using the FMCNC cathode reaches an encouraging peak power density (PPD) of 1052 mW·cm −2 at 700 °C, which is higher than those of the H-SOFCs reported recently. Additional comparison was made between the high-entropy FMCNC cathode and the traditional Mn 1. 6 Cu 1.4 O 4 (MCO) spinel cathode without the high-entropy structure, revealing that the formation of the high-entropy material allows the enhanced protonation ability as well as the movement of the O p-band center closer to the Fermi level, thus improving the cathode catalytic activity. As a result, the high-entropy FMCNC has a much-decreased polarization resistance of 0.057 Ω·cm 2 at 700 °C, which is half of that for the traditional MCO spinel cathode without the high-entropy design. The excellent performance of the FMCNC cell indicates that the high-entropy design makes a new life for the spinel oxide as the cathode for H-SOFCs, offering a novel and promising route for the development of high-performance materials for H-SOFCs.

One challenge for the commercial development of solid oxide fuel cells as efficient energy-conversion devices is thermo-mechanical instability. Large internal-strain gradients caused by the mismatch in thermal expansion behaviour between different fuel cell components are the main cause of this instability, which can lead to cell degradation, delamination or fracture 1 – 4 . Here we demonstrate an approach to realizing full thermo-mechanical compatibility between the cathode and other cell components by introducing a thermal-expansion offset. We use reactive sintering to combine a cobalt-based perovskite with high electrochemical activity and large thermal-expansion coefficient with a negative-thermal-expansion material, thus forming a composite electrode with a thermal-expansion behaviour that is well matched to that of the electrolyte. A new interphase is formed because of the limited reaction between the two materials in the composite during the calcination process, which also creates A-site deficiencies in the perovskite. As a result, the composite shows both high activity and excellent stability. The introduction of reactive negative-thermal-expansion components may provide a general strategy for the development of fully compatible and highly active electrodes for solid oxide fuel cells. Highly active but durable perovskite-based solid oxide fuel cell cathodes are realized using a thermal-expansion offset, achieving full thermo-mechanical compatibility between the cathode and other cell components.

Energy storage and conversion is a very important link between the steps of energy production and energy consumption. Traditional fossil fuels are a natural and unsustainable energy storage medium with limited reserves and notorious pollution problems, therefore demanding a better choice to store and utilize the green and renewable energies in the future. Energy and environmental problems require a clean and efficient way of using the fuels. Fuel cell functions to efficiently convert oxidant and chemical energy accumulated in the fuel directly into DC electric, with the by-products of heat and water. Fuel cells, which are known as effective electrochemical converters, and electricity generation technology has gained attention due to the need for clean energy, the limitation of fossil fuel resources and the capability of a fuel cell to generate electricity without involving any moving mechanical part. The fuel cell technologies that received high interest for commercialization are polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), and direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). The optimum efficiency for the fuel cell is not bound by the principle of Carnot cycle compared to other traditional power machines that are generally based on thermal cycles such as gas turbines, steam turbines and internal combustion engines. However, the fuel cell applications have been restrained by the high cost needed to commercialize them. Researchers currently focus on the discovery of different materials and manufacturing methods to enhance fuel cell performance and simplify components of fuel cells. Fuel cell systems’ designs are utilized to reduce the costs of the membrane and improve cell efficiency, durability and reliability, allowing them to compete with the traditional combustion engine. In this review, we primarily analyze recent developments in fuel cells technologies and up-to-date modeling for PEMFCs, SOFCs and DMFCs.

AbstractsProton-conducting ceramics (PCCs) are of considerable interest for use in energy conversion and storage applications, electrochemical sensors, and separation membranes. PCCs that combine performance, efficiency, stability, and an ability to operate at low temperatures are particularly attractive. This review summarizes the recent progress made in the development of low-temperature proton-conducting ceramics (LT-PCCs), which are defined as operating in the temperature range of 25–400 °C. The structure of these ceramic materials, the characteristics of proton transport mechanisms, and the potential applications for LT-PCCs will be summarized with an emphasis on protonic conduction occurring at interfaces. Three temperature zones are defined in the LT-PCC operating regime based on the predominant proton transfer mechanism occurring in each zone. The variation in material properties, such as crystal structure, conductivity, microstructure, fabrication methods required to achieve the requisite grain size distribution, along with typical strategies pursued to enhance the proton conduction, is addressed. Finally, a perspective regarding applications of these materials to low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells, hydrogen separation membranes, and emerging areas in the nuclear industry including off-gas capture and isotopic separations is presented.

The solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are promising electrochemical conversion devices and have been studied for several decades. While numerous achievements have been obtained in different types of electrolyte materials, respectively, systematic reviews based on cell performance have been notably rare. In this review, the overall research progress and highlights of the performance of solid oxide fuel cells based on three different types of electrolytes are described in detail. This review can provide overall perspective and useful guidance for the further development and application of SOFCs.

Among various types of alternative energy devices, solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) operating at low temperatures (300‐600°C) show the advantages for both stationary and mobile electricity production. Proton‐conducting oxides as electrolyte materials play a critical role in the low‐temperature SOFCs (LT‐SOFCs). This review summarizes progress in proton‐conducting solid oxide electrolytes for LT‐SOFCs from materials to devices, with emphases on (1) strategies that have been proposed to tune the structures and properties of proton‐conducting oxides and ceramics, (2) techniques that have been employed for improving the performance of the protonic ceramic‐based SOFCs (known as PCFCs), and (3) challenges and opportunities in the development of proton‐conducting electrolyte‐based PCFCs. Protonic ceramic fuel cells have attracted the increased attention in the last 20 years. This review summarizes progress in proton‐conducting solid‐oxide electrolytes for low temperature protonic ceramic fuel cells.