Advancements,strategies,and prospects of solid oxide electrolysis cells(SOECs):Towards enhanced performance and large-scale sustainable hydrogen production

Solid oxide electrolysis cells(SOECs)represent a crucial stride toward sustainable hydrogen generation,and this review explores their current scientific challenges,significant advancements,and potential for large-scale hydrogen production.In SOEC technology,the application of innovative fabrication tech-niques,doping strategies,and advanced materials has enhanced the performance and durability of these systems,although degradation challenges persist,implicating the prime focus for future advancements.Here we provide in-depth analysis of the recent developments in SOEC technology,including Oxygen-SOECs,Proton-SOECs,and Hybrid-SOECs.Specifically,Hybrid-SOECs,with their mixed ionic conducting electrolytes,demonstrate superior efficiency and the concurrent production of hydrogen and oxygen.Coupled with the capacity to harness waste heat,these advancements in SOEC technology present signif-icant promise for pilot-scale applications in industries.The review also highlights remarkable achieve-ments and potential reductions in capital expenditure for future SOEC systems,while elaborating on the micro and macro aspects of sOECs with an emphasis on ongoing research for optimization and scal-ability.It concludes with the potential of SOEC technology to meet various industrial energy needs and its significant contribution considering the key research priorities to tackle the global energy demands,ful-fillment,and decarbonization efforts.

Active Cu and Fe Nanoparticles Codecorated Ruddlesden-Popper-Type Perovskite as Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells Cathode for CO_(2)Splitting

Solid oxide electrolysis cells(SOECs),displaying high current density and energy efficiency,have been proven to be an effective technique to electrochemically reduce CO_(2)into CO.However,the insufficiency of cathode activity and stability is a tricky problem to be addressed for SOECs.Hence,it is urgent to develop suitable cathode materials with excellent catalytic activity and stability for further practical application of SOECs.Herein,a reduced perovskite oxide,Pr_(0.35)Sr_(0.6)Fe_(0.7)Cu_(0.2)Mo_(0.1)O_(3-δ)(PSFCM0.35),is developed as SOECs cathode to electrolyze CO_(2).After reduction in 10%H_(2)/Ar,Cu and Fe nanoparticles are exsolved from the PSFCM0.35 lattice,resulting in a phase transformation from cubic perovskite to Ruddlesden-Popper(RP)perovskite with more oxygen vacancies.The exsolved metal nanoparticles are tightly attached to the perovskite substrate and afford more active sites to accelerate CO_(2)adsorption and dissociation on the cathode surface.The significantly strengthened CO_(2)adsorption capacity obtained after reduction is demonstrated by in situ Fourier transform-infrared(FT-IR)spectra.Symmetric cells with the reduced PSFCM0.35(R-PSFCM0.35)electrode exhibit a low polarization resistance of 0.43Ωcm^(2)at 850℃.Single electrolysis cells with the R-PSFCM0.35 cathode display an outstanding current density of 2947 mA cm^(-2)at 850℃and 1.6 V.In addition,the catalytic stability of the R-PSFCM0.35 cathode is also proved by operating at 800℃with an applied constant current density of 600 mA cm^(-2)for 100 h.

High-temperature electrocatalysis and key materials in solid oxide electrolysis cells

Solid oxide electrolysis cells(SOECs)can convert electricity to chemicals with high efficiency at ~600-900℃,and have attracted widespread attention in renewable energy conversion and storage.SOECs operate in the inverse mode of solid oxide fuel cells(SOFCs)and therefore inherit most of the advantages of SOFC materials and energy conversion processes.However,the external bias that drives the electrochemical process will strongly change the chemical environments in both in the cathode and anode,therefore necessitating careful reconsideration of key materials and electrocatalysis processes.More importantly,SOECs provide a unique advantage of electrothermal catalysis,especially in converting stable low-carbon alkanes such as methane to ethylene with high selectivity.Here,we review the state-of-the-art of SOEC research progress in electrothermal catalysis and key materials and provide a future perspective.

Electrochemical conversion of C1 molecules to sustainable fuels in solid oxide electrolysis cells

Stimulated by increasing environmental awareness and renewable-energy utilization capabilities,fuel cell and electrolyzer technologies have emerged to play a unique role in energy storage,conversion,and utilization.In particular,solid oxide electrolysis cells(SOECs)are increasingly attracting the interest of researchers as a platform for the electrolysis and conversion of C1 molecules,such as carbon dioxide and methane.Compared to traditional catalysis methods,SOEC technology offers two major advantages:high energy efficiency and poisoning resistance,ensuring the long-term robustness of C1-to-fuels conversion.In this review,we focus on state-of-the-art technologies and introduce representative works on SOEC-based techniques for C1 molecule electrochemical conversion developed over the past several years,which can serve as a timely reference for designing suitable catalysts and cell processes for efficient and practical conversion of C1 molecules.The challenges and prospects are also discussed to suggest possible research directions for sustainable fuel production from C1 molecules by SOECs in the near future.

Enhancing cathode performance for CO2 electrolysis with Ce0.9M0.1O2-δ（M=Fe, Co, Ni） catalysts in solid oxide electrolysis cell

Electrochemical conversion with solid oxide electrolysis cells is a promising technology for CO2 utilization and simultaneously store renewable energy.In this work,Ce0.9M0.1O2-δ(CeM,M=Fe,Co,Ni)catalysts are infiltrated into La0.6Sr0.4Cr0.5Fe0.5O3-δ-Gd0.2Ce0.8O2-δ(LSCr Fe-GDC)cathode to enhance the electrochemical performance for CO2 electrolysis.CeCo-LSCrFe-GDC cell obtains the best performance with a current density of 0.652 A cm^-2,followed by CeFe-LSCrFe-GDC and CeNi-LSCrFe-GDC cells with the value of 0.603 and 0.535 A cm^-2,respectively,about 2.44,2.26 and 2.01 times higher than that of the LSCrFe-GDC cell at1.5 V and 800℃.Electrochemical impedance spectra combined with distributions of relaxed times analysis shows that both CO2 adsorption process and the dissociation of CO2 at triple phase boundaries are accelerated by Ce M catalysts,while the latter is the key rate-determining step.

Highly dispersed nickel species on iron‐based perovskite for CO_(2) electrolysis in solid oxide electrolysis cell

Feasible construction of cathode materials with highly dispersed active sites can extend the tri‐ple‐phase boundaries,and therefore leading to enhanced electrode kinetics for CO_(2) electrolysis in solid oxide electrolysis cell(SOEC).Herein,highly dispersed nickel species with low loading(1.0 wt%)were trapped within the La_(0.8)Sr_(0.2)FeO_(3)–δ‐Ce_(0.8)Sm_(0.2)O_(2)–δvia a facial mechanical milling ap‐proach,which demonstrated excellent CO_(2) electrolysis performance.The highly dispersed nickel species can significantly alter the electronic structures of the LSF‐SDC without affecting its porous network and facilitate oxygen vacancy formation,thus greatly promote the CO_(2) electrolysis perfor‐mance.The highest current density of 1.53 A·cm^(-2) could be achieved when operated under 800℃ at 1.6 V,which is about 91%higher than the LSF‐SDC counterpart.

A robust fluorine-containing ceramic cathode for direct CO_(2) electrolysis in solid oxide electrolysis cells

Stro ntium-doped lanthanum ferrite(LSF)is a potential ceramic cathode for direct CO_(2) electrolysis in solid oxide electrolysis cells(SOECs),but its application is limited by insufficient catalytic activity and stability in CO_(2)-containing atmospheres.Herein,a novel strategy is proposed to enhance the electrolytic performance as well as chemical stability,achieved by doping F into the O-site of the perovskite LSF.Doping F does not change the phase structure but reduces the cell volume and improves the chemical stability in a CO_(2)-rich atmosphere.Importantly,F doping favors oxygen vacancy formation,increases oxygen vacancy concentration,and enhances the CO_(2) adsorption capability.Meanwhile,doping with F greatly improves the kinetics of the CO_(2) reduction reaction.For example,kchem increases by 78%from3.49×10^(-4) cm s^(-1) to 6.24×10^(-4) cm s^(-1),and Dchem doubles from 4.68×10^(-5) cm^(2) s^(-1) to 9.45×10^(-5)cm^(2) s^(-1).Consequently,doping F significantly increases the electrochemical performance,such as reducing R_(p) by 52.2%from 0.226Ωcm^(2) to 0.108Ωcm^(2) at 800℃.As a result,the single cell with the Fcontaining cathode exhibits an extremely high current density of 2.58 A cm^(-2) at 800℃and 1.5 V,as well as excellent durability over 200 h for direct CO_(2) electrolysis in SOECs.

Co/Fe oxide and Ce_(0.8)Gd_(0.2)O_(2-δ) composite interlayer for solid oxide electrolysis cell

A composite interlayer comprised of gadolinia doped ceria（GDC） and Co/Fe oxide was prepared and investigated for solid oxide electrolysis cell with yttrium stabilized zirconia（YSZ） electrolyte and LaSrCoFeO（LSCF） anode. The interlayer was constructed of a base layer of GDC and a top layer of discrete CoO/FeCoOparticles. The presence of the GDC layer drastically alleviated the undesired reactions between LSCF and YSZ, and the presence of Co/Fe oxide led to further performance improvement. At 800 °C and 45% humidity, the cell with 70% Co/Fe-GDC interlayer achieved 0.98 A/cmat 1.18 V, 14% higher than the cell without Co/Fe oxide. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy（EIS） revealed that with higher Co/Fe content, both the ohmic resistance and the polarization resistance of the cell were reduced. It is suggested that Co/Fe oxide can react with the Sr species segregated from LSCF and Sr（Co,Fe）O, a compound with high catalytic activity and electronic conductivity. The Sr-capturing ability of Co/Fe oxide in combination with the Sr-blocking ability of GDC layer can effectively suppress the undesired reaction between LSCF and YSZ, and consequently improve the cell performance.

Analytical Study, 1-D Optimization Modeling, and Testing of Electrode Supported Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells

This paper presents a straightforward model studying the performance of a solid oxide electrolysis cell at less computational effort while is still comprehensive accounting for details of all physics involved. The model is one dimensional and can be used to optimize SOECs that have composite electrodes. It includes an average mass transfer analysis used to simulate concentration polarization, activation polarization, as well as ohmic loss. The electrochemical reaction that occurs within the electrode functional layers has been accounted for in the calculation of the concentration polarization. This is believed to give a more realistic view of the mass transfer that occurs in SOECs with composite electrodes via a simple and straightforward one dimensional model. Experimental work with SOECs also has been done and some results are reported. The simulation results are compared with experimental data and the agreement is satisfactory. The model can be conveniently used for optimization of the SOEC electrodes and operational conditions.

Green hydrogen production by intermediate-temperature protonic solid oxide electrolysis cells:Advances,challenges,and perspectives

Protonic solid oxide electrolysis cells(P-SOECs)operating at intermediate temperatures,which have low costs,low environmental impact,and high theoretical electrolysis efficiency,are considered promising next-generation energy conversion devices for green hydrogen production.However,the developments and applications of P-SOECs are restricted by numerous material-and interface-related issues,including carrier mismatch between the anode and electrolyte,current leakage in the electrolyte,poor interfacial contact,and chemical stability.Over the past few decades,considerable attempts have been made to address these issues by improving the properties of P-SOECs.This review comprehensively explores the recent advances in the mechanisms governing steam electrolysis in P-SOECs,optimization strategies,specially designed components,electrochemical performance,and durability.In particular,given that the lack of suitable anode materials has significantly impeded P-SOEC development,the relationships between the transferred carriers and the cell performance,reaction models,and surface decoration approaches are meticulously probed.Finally,the challenges hindering P-SOEC development are discussed and recommendations for future research directions,including theoretical calculations and simulations,structural modification approaches,and large-scale single-cell fabrication,are proposed to stimulate research on P-SOECs and thereby realize efficient electricity-to-hydrogen conversion.

Degradation of solid oxide electrolysis cells: Phenomena,mechanisms, and emerging mitigation strategies——A review

Solid oxide electrolysis cell(SOEC) is a promising electrochemical device with high efficiency for energy storage and conversion.However,the degradation of SOEC is a significant barrier to commercial viability.In this review paper,the typical degradation phenomena of SOEC are summarized,with great attention into the anodes/oxygen electrodes,including the commonly used and newly developed anode materials.Meanwhile,mechanistic investigations on the electrode/electrolyte interfaces are provided to unveil how the intrinsic factor,oxygen partial pressure pO2,and the electrochemical operation conditions,affect the interracial stability of SOEC.At last,this paper also presents some emerging mitigation strategies to circumvent long-term degradation,which include novel infiltration method,development of new anode materials and engineering of the microstructure.

Materials of solid oxide electrolysis cells for H_(2)O and CO_(2) electrolysis:A review

Reliable and economical energy storage technologies are urgently required to ensure sustainable energy supply.Hydrogen(H_(2))is an energy carrier that can be produced environmentfriendly by renewable power to split water(H_(2)O)via electrochemical cells.By this way,electric energy is stored as chemical energy of H_(2),and the storage can be large-scale and economical.Among the electrochemical technologies for H_(2)O electrolysis,solid oxide electrolysis cells(SOECs)operated at temperatures above 500℃have the benefits of high energy conversion efficiency and economic feasibility.In addition to the H_(2)O electrolysis,SOECs can also be employed for CO_(2) electrolysis and H2O–CO_(2) co-electrolysis to produce value-added chemicals of great economic and environmental significance.However,the SOEC technology is not yet fully ready for commercial deployment because of material limitations of the key components,such as electrolytes,air electrodes,and fuel electrodes.As is well known,the reactions in SOEC are,in principle,inverse to the reactions in solid oxide fuel cells(SOFCs).Component materials of SOECs are currently adopted from SOFC materials.However,their performance stability issues are evident,and need to be overcome by materials development in line with the unique requirements of the SOEC materials.Key topics discussed in this review include SOEC critical materials and their optimization,material degradation and its safeguards,future research directions,and commercialization challenges,from both traditional oxygen ion(O_(2)−)-conducting SOEC(O-SOEC)and proton(H^(+))-conducting SOEC(H-SOEC)perspectives.It is worth to believe that H_(2)O or/and CO_(2) electrolysis by SOECs provides a viable solution for future energy storage and conversion.

Advances in component and operation optimization of solid oxide electrolysis cell

Considering the earth powered by intermittent renewable energy in the coming future,solid oxide electrolysis cell(SOEC)will play an indispensable role in efficient energy conversion and storage on demand.The thermolytic and kinetic merits grant SOEC a bright potential to be directly integrated with electrical grid and downstream chemical synthesis process.Meanwhile,the scientific community are still endeavoring to pursue the SOEC assembled with better materials and operated at a more energy-efficient way.In this review article,at cell level,we focus on the recent development of electrolyte,cathode,anode and buffer layer materials for both steam and CO_(2)electrolysis.On the other hand,we also discuss the next generation SOEC operated with the assistant of other fuels to further reduce the energy consumption and enhance the productivity of the electrolyzer.And stack level,the sealant,interconnect and stack operation strategies are collectively covered.Finally,the challenges and future research direction in SOECs are included.

Orthorhombic Y_(0.95-x)Sr_(x)Co_(0.3)Fe_(0.7)O_(3-δ) anode for oxygen evolution reaction in solid oxide electrolysis cells

Cubic perovskite oxides usually suffer from delamination and Sr^(2+) segregation for catalyzing oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at the anodes of solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs). It is crucial to develop alternative and efficient anode materials for SOECs. Herein, a series of novel Y_(0.95-x)Sr_(x)Co_(0.3)Fe_(0.7)O_(3-δ) (YSCF-x) orthorhombic perovskite oxides in the Pnma (62) space group are synthesized as anode materials of SOECs. Physicochemical characterizations and density functional theory calculations reveal that the partial substitution of Y^(3+) by Sr^(2+) increases the oxygen vacancy concentration and mobility as well as improves the electrical conductivity, which contributes to the excellent OER activity of YSCF-x. At 800 °C, the current density of SOEC with YSCF-0.05-Ce0.8Sm0.2O2-δ anode can reach 1.32 A cm^(−2) at 1.6 V, about twice that of SOEC with Y_(0.95-x)Sr_(x)Co_(0.3)Fe_(0.7)O_(3-δ)-Ce_(0.8)Sm_(0.2)O_(2-δ) anode. This work paves a new avenue for the design of advanced anode materials of SOECs.

Parametric Study of Operating Conditions on Performances of a Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell

The operating conditions greatly affect the electrolysis performance and temperature distribution of solid oxide electrolysis cells(SOECs).However,the temperature distribution in a cell is hard to determine by experiments due to the limitations of in-situ measurement methods.In this study,an electrochemical-flow-thermal coupling numerical cell model is established and verified by both current-voltage curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS)results.The electrolysis performance and temperature distribution under different working conditions are numerically analyzed,including operating temperature,steam and hydrogen partial pressures in the fuel gas,inlet flow rate and inlet temperature of fuel gas.The results show that the electrolysis performance improves with increasing operating temperature.Increasing steam partial pressure improves electrolysis performance and temperature distribution uniformity,but decreases steam conversion rate.An inappropriately low hydrogen partial pressure reduces the diffusion ability of fuel gas mixture and increases concentration impedance.Although increasing the flow rate of fuel gas improves electrolysis performance,it also reduces temperature distribution uniformity.A lower airflow rate benefits temperature distribution uniformity.The inlet temperature of fuel gas has little influence on electrolysis performance.In order to obtain a more uniform temperature distribution,it is more important to preheat the air than the fuel gas.

Novel Perovskite Oxide Hybrid Nanofibers Embedded with Nanocatalysts for Highly Efficient and Durable Electrodes in Direct CO_(2) Electrolysis

The unique characteristics of nanofibers in rational electrode design enable effec-tive utilization and maximizing material properties for achieving highly efficient and sustainable CO_(2) reduction reactions( CO_(2)RRs)in solid oxide elec-trolysis cells(SOECs).However,practical appli-cation of nanofiber-based electrodes faces chal-lenges in establishing sufficient interfacial contact and adhesion with the dense electrolyte.To tackle this challenge,a novel hybrid nanofiber electrode,La_(0.6)Sr_(0.4)Co_(0.15)Fe_(0.8)Pd_(0.05)O_(3-δ)(H-LSCFP),is developed by strategically incorporating low aspect ratio crushed LSCFP nanofibers into the excess porous interspace of a high aspect ratio LSCFP nanofiber framework synthesized via electrospinning technique.After consecutive treatment in 100% H_(2) and CO_(2) at 700°C,LSCFP nanofibers form a perovskite phase with in situ exsolved Co metal nanocatalysts and a high concentration of oxygen species on the surface,enhancing CO_(2) adsorption.The SOEC with the H-LSCFP electrode yielded an outstanding current density of 2.2 A cm^(-2) in CO_(2) at 800°C and 1.5 V,setting a new benchmark among reported nanofiber-based electrodes.Digital twinning of the H-LSCFP reveals improved contact adhesion and increased reaction sites for CO_(2)RR.The present work demonstrates a highly catalytically active and robust nanofiber-based fuel electrode with a hybrid structure,paving the way for further advancements and nanofiber applications in CO_(2)-SOECs.

Electrochemical performance and stability of Sr-doped LaMnO_(3)-infiltrated yttria stabilized zirconia oxygen electrode for reversible solid oxide fuel cells

Porous Sr-doped lanthanum manganite–yttria stabilized zirconia(LSM–YSZ)oxygen electrode is prepared by an infiltration process for a reversible solid oxide fuel cell(RSOFC).X-ray diffraction and SEM analysis display that perovskite phase LSM submicro particles are evenly distributed in the porous YSZ matrix.Polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectra are conducted for the RSOFC at 800 and 850C under both SOFC and SOEC modes.At 850℃,the single cell has the maximum power density of~726 mW/cm^(2)under SOFC mode,and electrolysis voltage of 1.35 V at 1 A/cm^(2)under SOEC mode.Fuel cell/water electrolysis cycle shows the cell has good performance stability during 6 cycles,which exhibits the LSM–YSZ oxygen electrode has high electrochemical performance and good stability.The results suggest that netw ork-like LSM–YSZ electrode made by infiltration process could be a promising oxygen electrode for high temperature RSOFCs.

Scientometric analysis of research trends on solid oxide electrolysis cells for green hydrogen and syngas production

Solid oxide electrolysis cell(SOEC)is a promising water electrolysis technology that produces hydrogen or syngas through water electrolysis or water and carbon dioxide co-electrolysis.Green hydrogen or syngas can be produced by SOEC with renewable energy.Thus,SOEC has attracted continuous attention in recent years for the urgency of developing environmentally friendly energy sources and achieving carbon neutrality.Focusing on 1276 related articles retrieved from the Web of Science(WoS)database,the historical development of SOECs are depicted from 1983 to 2023 in this paper.The co-occurrence networks of the countries,source journals,and author keywords are generated.Moreover,three main clusters showing different content of the SOEC research are identified and analyzed.Furthermore,the scientometric analysis and the content of the high-cited articles of the research of different topics of SOECs:fuel electrode,air electrode,electrolyte,co-electrolysis,proton-conducting SOECs,and the modeling of SOECs are also presented.The results show that co-electrolysis and proton-conducting SOECs are two popular directions in the study of SOECs.This paper provides a straightforward reference for researchers interested in the field of SOEC research,helping them navigate the landscape of this area of study,locate potential partners,secure funding,discover influential scholars,identify leading countries,and access key research publications.

Exsolved materials for CO_(2)reduction in high-temperature electrolysis cells

Electrochemical reduction of CO_(2)into valuable fuels and chemicals has become a contemporary research area,where the heterogeneous catalyst plays a critical role.Metal nanoparticles supported on oxides performing as active sites of electrochemical reactions have been the focus of intensive investigation.Here,we review the CO_(2)reduction with active materials prepared by exsolution.The fundamental of exsolution was summarized in terms of mechanism and models,materials,and driven forces.The advances in the exsolved materials used in hightemperature CO_(2)electrolysis were catalogued into tailored interfaces,synergistic effects on alloy particles,phase transition,reversibility and electrochemical switching.

Enhancing Direct Electrochemical CO_(2)Electrolysis by Introducing A-Site Deficiency for the Dual-Phase Pr(Ca)Fe(Ni)O_(3-δ)Cathode

High-temperature CO_(2)electrolysis via solid oxide electrolysis cells(CO_(2)-SOECs)has drawn special attention due to the high energy convention efficiency,fast electrode kinetics,and great potential in carbon cycling.However,the development of cathode materials with high catalytic activity and chemical stability for pure CO_(2)electrolysis is still a great challenge.In this work,A-site cation deficient dual-phase material,namely(Pr_(0.4)Ca_(0.6))_(x)Fe_(0.8)Ni_(0.2)O_(3-δ)(PCFN,x=1,0.95,and 0.9),has been designed as the fuel electrode for a pure CO_(2)-SOEC,which presents superior electrochemical performance.Among all these compositions,(Pr_(0.4)Ca_(0.6))_(0.95)Fe_(0.8)Ni_(0.2)O_(3-δ)(PCFN95)exhibited the lowest polarization resistance of 0.458Ωcm^(2)at open-circuit voltage and 800℃.The application of PCFN95 as the cathode in a single cell yields an impressive electrolysis current density of 1.76 A cm^(-2)at 1.5 V and 800℃,which is 76%higher than that of single cells with stoichiometric Pr_(0.4)Ca_(0.6)Fe_(0.8)Ni_(0.2)O_(3-δ)(PCFN100)cathode.The effects of A-site deficiency on materials'phase structure and physicochemical properties are also systematically investigated.Such an enhancement in electrochemical performance is attributed to the promotion of effective CO_(2)adsorption,as well as the improved electrode kinetics resulting from the A-site deficiency.