An all-in-one flourite-based symmetrical solid oxide fuel cell

A novel concept of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), the symmetrical SOFC, that uses simultaneously the same material as both anode and cathode has been investigated. Common materials typically used as anode components such as a combination of YSZ and CeO₂ plus a noble metal may be considered good candidates for such a configuration at relatively high temperatures (i.e. above 900 °C). These symmetrical electrodes exhibit enhanced electrochemical properties under both reducing and oxidising conditions, in part due to the catalytic properties of the noble metal used. In air the polarisation values are improved by a factor of four compared to electrodes without CeO₂, whereas under reducing conditions an improvement of two–three orders of magnitude has been observed. The best results correspond to cermets containing 50–60% of CeO₂.