Nanostructured metal oxides for high-performance solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs)

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are highly efficient electrochemical devices that enable direct conversion of chemical energy contained in gaseous fuel into electrical energy. Any additional losses are thus excluded. As a by-product, high-quality heat is generated, which can even be coupled with industrial systems. High-operating temperatures enhance reaction kinetics thus minimizing the operating losses in comparison to other low-temperature fuel cell technologies. Besides the wide range of the mentioned advantages, the ability of Solid oxide fuel cells to be used in a variety of fuels, e.g., hydrogen and hydrocarbon-based fuels (e.g., biogas, diesel reformates, natural gas, etc.) as well as ammonia, in a highly efficient and environmental-friendly manner, characterizes them as a key technology for future clean energy systems. During the last decades, much effort has been made to improve SOFC performance and accelerate their commercialization. However, there are still specific challenges that must be addressed in order to reduce the overall system costs and improve its durability. Most of them are oriented to material improvements. The material problems are profound and more information on both conventional and novel materials developed will be provided in this chapter. Furthermore, general information on the SOFC working principle, characterization techniques, and SOFC system application will be discussed.