Low-temperature direct ethanol solid oxide fuel cells based on LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2-δ electrodes

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are environmentally friendly energy conversion devices that can be operated by using hydrogen and various hydrocarbons as fuels. Among those hydrocarbon fuels, ethanol has garnered widespread attention due to its high energy density, low transportation cost, and easy of storage, making it one of the most promising fuels for SOFCs. However, the ethanol-based SOFCs often require high operating temperature, and have the issue of performance degradation due to carbon deposition at the anode. Searching for high performance anode material is of significant importance for low-temperature direct ethanol SOFCs. This study investigates the application of LiNi_0.8Co_0.15Al_0.05O_2-δ (NCAL) as the electrode for direct ethanol SOFCs and aims to improve fuel cell performance while enhancing resistance to carbon deposition. The NCAL anode is pretreated to optimize its surface microstructure and catalytic properties. In addition, from a thermodynamic perspective, the C–H–O ratio is adjusted by using different carrier gases for ethanol to mitigate carbon deposition on the anode surface. The result shows that using CO₂ as the carrier gas facilitates the dry reforming reaction, which significantly reduces carbon deposition on the anode support and improves cell stability. This study provides insights into enhancing the performance of low-temperature direct ethanol SOFCs based on NCAL electrodes.