Generating C4 Alkenes in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells via Cofeeding H₂ and n-Butane Using a Selective Anode Electrocatalyst

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) offer opportunities for the application as both power sources and chemical reactors. Yet, it remains a grand challenge to simultaneously achieve high efficiency of transforming higher hydrocarbons to value-added products and of generating electricity. To address it, we here present an ingenious approach of nanoengineering the triple-phase boundary of an SOFC anode, featuring abundant Co₇W₆@WO core-shell nanoparticles dispersed on the surface of black La_0.4Sr_0.6TiO₃. We also developed a cofeeding strategy, which is centered on concurrently feeding the SOFC anode with H₂ and chemical feedstock. Such combined optimizations enable effective (electro)catalytic dehydrogenation of n-butane to butenes and 1,3-butadiene. The C4 alkene yield is higher than 50% while the peak power density of the SOFC reached 212 mW/cm² at 650 °C. In addition, coke formation is largely suppressed and little CO/CO₂ is produced in this process. While this work shows new possibility of chemical-electricity coupling in SOFCs, it might also open bona fide avenues toward the electrocatalytic synthesis of chemicals at higher temperatures.