Zheng Shuanglin, Liu Bin, Kim Guntae, Ghamarian Iman, Patel Sooraj, Ding Hanping
School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA.
Department of Chemical Engineering, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA.
Adv Mater. 2025 Aug;37(32):e2503649. doi: 10.1002/adma.202503649. Epub 2025 May 20.
Protonic ceramic electrochemical cells (PCECs) represent a transformative technology for sustainable hydrogen production and power generation by converting energy between chemical and electrical forms. Operating at intermediate temperatures, PCECs utilize proton-conducting electrolytes, achieving high efficiency and reduced degradation. However, a major bottleneck lies at the oxygen electrode due to sluggish kinetics and limited active sites. To address this, we present a hybrid oxygen electrode featuring PrNiCoO (PNC) backbone infused with oxygen vacancy-rich praseodymium oxide (PrO) nanoparticles. This design leverages the interplay between surface and bulk properties to enhance oxygen adsorption, diffusion, and catalytic kinetics. The PrO introduces abundant oxygen vacancies and modulates the d-band center for optimal adsorption energy, while the PNC backbone provides robust proton conduction and stabilizes reaction intermediates. Cells incorporating this hybrid electrode demonstrate a peak power density of 1.56 W cm at 600 °C in fuel cell mode and a current density of 2.25 A cm at 1.30 V in electrolysis mode. Faradaic and energy efficiency reach 96.8% and 89.9%, respectively, with exceptional thermal cycling stability and reduced polarization resistance (0.079 Ω cm). This study underscores the potential of advanced electrode architectures to enhance the efficiency, durability, and applicability of PCECs in renewable energy systems.
质子陶瓷电化学电池（PCEC）是一种变革性技术，可通过在化学能和电能形式之间转换能量来实现可持续制氢和发电。PCEC在中温下运行，利用质子传导电解质，实现了高效率和更少的降解。然而，由于动力学缓慢和活性位点有限，氧电极存在一个主要瓶颈。为了解决这个问题，我们提出了一种混合氧电极，其具有注入富含氧空位的氧化镨（PrO）纳米颗粒的PrNiCoO（PNC）骨架。这种设计利用了表面和体相性质之间的相互作用来增强氧的吸附、扩散和催化动力学。PrO引入了大量的氧空位并调节d带中心以获得最佳吸附能量，而PNC骨架提供了强大的质子传导并稳定反应中间体。包含这种混合电极的电池在燃料电池模式下于600°C时表现出1.56 W cm的峰值功率密度，在电解模式下于1.30 V时表现出2.25 A cm的电流密度。法拉第效率和能量效率分别达到96.8%和89.9%，具有出色的热循环稳定性和降低的极化电阻（0.079 Ω cm）。这项研究强调了先进电极结构在提高PCEC在可再生能源系统中的效率、耐久性和适用性方面的潜力。
