Mo-Doped LSCF as a Novel Coke-Resistant Anode for Biofuel-Fed SOFC

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) offer sustainable energy conversion from biofuels.
• Operating SOFCs at intermediate temperatures (600-700 °C) enhances material durability and system lifespan.
• Traditional Ni-YSZ anodes suffer from carbon deposition, hindering performance at lower temperatures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel anode material with enhanced coke resistance and phase stability for intermediate-temperature SOFCs.
• To investigate the performance of molybdenum-doped La_0.6Sr_0.4Co_0.2Fe_0.8O_3-δ (LSCFMo) as an anode for biofuel utilization.
• To evaluate the electrochemical activity and long-term stability of the LSCFMo anode under reducing conditions.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis and characterization of molybdenum-doped La_0.6Sr_0.4Co_0.2Fe_0.8O_3-δ (LSCFMo) anode material.
• X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis to assess phase stability with varying Mo doping.
• Electrochemical performance testing of SOFCs utilizing LSCFMo anodes and GDC10 electrolyte, specifically evaluating methanol oxidation at 600 °C.

Main Results:

• Increased molybdenum doping in LSCFMo enhanced phase stability under reducing conditions.
• The LSCFMo anode demonstrated catalytic activity for methanol oxidation at 600 °C, achieving an open circuit voltage (OCV) of 0.55 V.
• Crucially, no carbon deposition was observed on the LSCFMo anode after electrochemical testing.

Conclusions:

• Molybdenum-doped LSCFMo exhibits superior coke resistance and phase stability, making it a promising anode material for SOFCs.
• LSCFMo facilitates efficient biofuel conversion at intermediate temperatures, addressing a key limitation of conventional anode materials.
• The developed LSCFMo anode material is suitable for sustainable energy generation using biofuels in solid oxide fuel cells.