Electrochemical insights into performance enhancement of protonic ceramic fuel cells with Ba(Zr,Ce,Y)O 3-δ electrolyte

作者：Muhammad Faisal Anwar, Yong Yu, Muhammad Khalid, Atif Nazar, Bushra Bibi, Muhammad Sarfraz, Bin Zhu, Jianbing Huang, Muhammad Imran Asghar · 发表于：Energy Materials · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.20517/energymater.2025.16 · 被引用次数：18 · 研究领域：Advancements in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells、Fuel Cells and Related Materials、Nuclear Materials and Properties

The burgeoning field of protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs) is characterized by significant scientific and technological advancements, particularly with the incorporation of BaZr0.1Ce0.7Y0.2O3-δ (BZCY) as a proton-conducting electrolyte. In the modern energy materials field, the challenge is not only developing new materials but also understanding new mechanisms and gaining an in-depth understanding of their interaction with energy devices. To drive significant advances, it is crucial to address both material-specific challenges and device-level innovations that unlock the full potential of these materials. In this work, we introduced an electrochemical proton injection approach to successfully improve BZCY proton conductivity by an order of magnitude. We also delve into the electrode and interface kinetic processes and their interplay in proton transport within the bulk and grain boundary of the BZCY-electrolyte of PCFCs. These approaches have led to state-of-the-art advances, achieving a proton conductivity of 0.19 S cm-1 and a device peak power density of 943 mW cm-2 at 530 °C. Our results demonstrate that the bulk and grain boundary conduction significantly mitigate polarization losses by four to five orders of magnitude, thereby accelerating the kinetic process and further contributing to improved PCFC performance. The appearance of peaks and alterations in relaxation times further illustrate the electrode reactions and proton transport mechanisms. Beyond providing a com...