Observation of Fast Low-Temperature Oxygen Ion Conduction in CeO/β"-AlO Heterostructure.

Semiconductor ion fuel cells (SIFCs) have demonstrated impressive ionic conductivity and efficient power generation at temperatures below 600 °C. However, the lack of understanding of the ionic conduction mechanisms associated with composite electrolytes has impeded the advancement of SIFCs toward lower operating temperatures. In this study, a CeO/β″-AlO heterostructure electrolyte is introduced, incorporating β″-AlO and leveraging the local electric field (LEF) as well as the manipulation of the melting point temperature of carbonate/hydroxide (C/H) by Na and Mg from β″-AlO.

Novel n-i CeO/a-AlO Heterostructure Electrolyte Derived from the Insulator a-AlO for Fuel Cells.

Heterostructure technologies have been regarded as promising methods in the development of electrolytes with high ionic conductivity for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LT-SOFCs). Here, a novel semiconductor/insulator (n-i) heterostructure strategy has been proposed to develop composite electrolytes for LT-SOFCs based on CeO and the insulator amorphous alumina (a-AlO). The constructed CeO/a-AlO electrolyte exhibits an ionic conductivity of up to 0.