In situ reconstruction of multi-phase heterostructured anodes for efficient and durable solid oxide fuel cells

A high-performance anode of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) should possess excellent electrocatalytic activity, high oxygen-ion/electron conductivity, and sufficient operational stability, thus requiring a delicate tuning of both the bulk and surface properties of the electrode materials. Constructing heterostructures to obtain high electrocatalytic activity catalysts is an essential but challenging research direction. Herein, a novel composite anode constructed with multiphase nanoparticles is rationally designed and prepared using intelligent in situ reconstruction technique. The self-assembled La_0.9Ce_0.1Ni_0.7Co_0.15Fe_0.15O_3-δ-Sm_0.2Ce_0.8O₂ (LCNCF-SDC) anode was in situ reconstructed under reducing atmosphere to form uniform NiCoFe/CeO₂/La₂O₃ multiphase heterostructures. As a result, the maximum power densities of a cell supported by 500 μm-thick Ce_0.8Sm_0.2O_2-δ-carbonate electrolyte layer with the LCNCF-SDC anode reach 1.34 and 1.56 W cm⁻² at 700 °C, respectively for using H₂ and methanol as fuels. The synergy between multiphase nanoparticles contributes to the enhanced catalytic activity and stability. This anode demonstrates negligible degradation over 15 h in CH₃OH, indicating a significantly enhanced coking resistance.