Multifunctional macroporous solid oxide fuel cell anode with active nanosized ceramic electrocatalyst

In this work, an alternative anode material, consisting of perovskite-type manganese-doped lanthanum aluminate (La1.5Al0.33Mn0.17O3), was proposed and implemented. The solid oxide fuel cell anode was produced by the wet impregnation of nanoparticles into a macroporous electrolyte-based scaffold material. The produced cell was characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, from which the morphology of the scaffold, the particle size distribution, and porosity were extensively performed and discussed. Electrochemical and electrocatalytic tests were accounted by recording i-V plots with hydrogen or methane as fuels, and by measuring methane conversion rates and C2 hydrocarbons selectivity.

The particle size distribution was confirmed to be submicrometric with the presence of nanoparticles. High levels of porosity (30–35%) were achieved at the scaffold and the cells were able to operate with hydrogen and methane as fuels delivering a power density of around 150 mW.cm−2 and yielding 30–70% C2 hydrocarbons selectivity, depending on operational conditions.