A nanoarchitectured cermet composite with extremely low Ni content for stable high-performance solid oxide fuel cells

A strategy for improving the stability of nickel-based solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) anodes via compositional and microstructural engineering is presented. Ni content was reduced to 2 vol%, and nanosized Ni particles were uniformly dispersed in a mixed ionic-electronic conducting matrix comprising gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC) using a thin-film technique. Remarkable stability with no performance deterioration even after 100 reduction-oxidation cycles could be observed for the optimized nanostructured anodes. Cell performance at 500°C was enhanced, exceeding 650 mW/cm2. This study offers valuable insights for enhancing the durability, performance, and productivity of SOFCs.