Sharif Muhammad Shahid, Rauf Sajid, Tayyab Zuhra, Masood Muhammad Ahsan, Tian Yibin, Shah Muhammad Ali Kamran Yousaf, Alodhayb Abdullah N, Raza Rizwan, Zhu Bin
School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, 2 Sipailou, Xuanwu District, Nanjing, 210096, China.
State Key Lab of Radio Frequency Heterogenous Integration & College of Mechatronics and Control Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518060, China.
Adv Sci (Weinh). 2025 Jun;12(22):e2417421. doi: 10.1002/advs.202417421. Epub 2025 Mar 27.
Operating within the 300-500 °C range, low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LT-SOFCs) enable efficient and sustainable energy conversion, addressing the limitations of conventional high-temperature SOFCs. However, achieving >0.1 S cm ionic conductivity in electrolytes remains challenging. Here, a novel approach utilizing CuO self-nucleation and electron-ion (E-I) coupling in xCuO/(1-x) CeO (CCO) semiconductor ionic membranes (x = 0-0.4) is presented. At the optimal 0.2CuO/0.8CeO composition, ionic conductivity exceeds 0.15 S cm, driven by E-I coupling at the CuO/CeO heterojunction. This coupling creates a built-in electric field (BIEF) via interfacial charge transfer, facilitating ion transport by lowering the activation energy for ion migration. The dual-conduction pathway enabled by E-I coupling not only facilitates electronic transfer and ionic transport but also optimizes charge transfer kinetics, achieving exceptional power densities of 750-900 mW cm at 500-550 °C and 78 mW cm at 300 °C. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations further validate the role of Cu and Ce valence states in generating interfacial charge transfer and enhancing ionic mobility. This innovative approach positions CuO/CeO as a state-of-the-art electrolyte, building the critical conductivity-performance gap in LT-SOFCs. This study pioneers LT-SOFC innovation by leveraging E-I coupling and electrode-electrolyte synergy, unlocking superior ion transport and practical applicability.
低温固体氧化物燃料电池（LT - SOFCs）在300 - 500°C范围内运行，能够实现高效且可持续的能量转换，克服了传统高温SOFCs的局限性。然而，在电解质中实现大于0.1 S/cm的离子电导率仍然具有挑战性。在此，提出了一种利用xCuO/(1 - x)CeO（CCO）半导体离子膜（x = 0 - 0.4）中CuO自形核和电子 - 离子（E - I）耦合的新方法。在最佳的0.2CuO/0.8CeO组成下，离子电导率超过0.15 S/cm，这是由CuO/CeO异质结处的E - I耦合驱动的。这种耦合通过界面电荷转移产生内建电场（BIEF），通过降低离子迁移的活化能促进离子传输。E - I耦合实现的双传导途径不仅促进电子转移和离子传输，还优化了电荷转移动力学，在500 - 550°C时实现了750 - 900 mW/cm²的优异功率密度，在300°C时实现了78 mW/cm²的功率密度。密度泛函理论（DFT）计算进一步验证了Cu和Ce价态在产生界面电荷转移和增强离子迁移率方面的作用。这种创新方法将CuO/CeO定位为一种先进的电解质，弥合了LT - SOFCs中关键的电导率 - 性能差距。本研究通过利用E - I耦合和电极 - 电解质协同作用开创了LT - SOFC的创新，实现了卓越的离子传输和实际应用。
