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Solid Oxide Electrolysis of H2O and CO2 to Produce Hydrogen and Low-Carbon Fuels

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Abstract

Solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) including the oxygen ion-conducting SOEC (O-SOEC) and the proton-conducting SOEC (H-SOEC) have been actively investigated as next-generation electrolysis technologies that can provide high-energy conversion efficiencies for H2O and CO2 electrolysis to sustainably produce hydrogen and low-carbon fuels, thus providing higher-temperature routes for energy storage and conversion. Current research has also focused on the promotion of SOEC critical components to accelerate wider practical implementation. Based on these investigations, this perspective will summarize the most recent progress in the optimization of electrolysis performance and long-term stability of SOECs, with an emphasis on material developments, technological approaches and improving strategies, such as nano-composing, surface/interface engineering, doping and in situ exsolution. Existing technical challenges are also analyzed, and future research directions are proposed to achieve SOEC technical maturity and economic feasibility for diverse conversion applications.

Graphical Abstract

Solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs), including oxygen ion-conducting SOEC (O-SOEC) and proton-conducting SOEC (H-SOEC), have been actively investigated as one type of next generation electrolysis technologies with high-energy conversion efficiencies, which provide higher-temperature routes for energy storage and conversion.

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Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Copyright © 2017, American Chemical Society. c and d D* (oxygen solid-state diffusion coefficient) and k* (oxygen surface exchange coefficient) values of current and typical oxygen electrode materials, including La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3–δ (LSCF), Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3–δ (BSCF), Sm0.5Sr0.5Co3–δ (SSC), SrTi0.3Fe0.7O3–δ (STF), SrTi0.3Fe0.63Co0.07O3–δ (STFC), La2NiO4+δ (LNO) and GdBaCo2O5+δ (GBCO). Reprinted with permission from Ref. [11]. Copyright © 2018, Royal Society of Chemistry. Strategies to improve structure. Bulk design: e schematic of a nanocomposite anode consisting of SSC and SDC particles; f EDX mapping of Co (green) and Ce (red) in the SSC-SDC nanocomposite anode; reprinted with permission from Ref. [4]. Copyright 2019 © Nature Publishing Group. g SEM image and h schematic of a honeycomb/vertically aligned LSC-YSZ oxygen electrode. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [35]. Copyright 2018 © Wiley–VCH. Surface/interface engineering: i schematic of an oxygen electrolyte after impregnation (this schematic can also represent electrode materials after the in situ redox exsolution of metal nanoparticles as mentioned below); j EDX element mapping of Ce (green) and Co (red) in the GDC-SSC oxygen electrode; reprinted with permission from Ref. [28]. Copyright 2017 © Elsevier. k HRTEM image of the interfacial region of Au/YSZ; l reaction pathway for OER on the local interface of Au/YSZ, (IS: initial state; TS: transition state; MS: metastable state; FS: final state; atom colors: O: red; Y: purple; Zr: cyan; Au: golden yellow); reprinted with permission from Ref. [14]. Copyright 2019 © Wiley–VCH. m Heterostructured composite electrodes or electrolytes that are usually prepared through chemical processes (this schematic can also represent the common two-phase composite structure) and n SEM image of the local heterointerface of NSC214/NSC113 as an example; o schematic of a heterostructured dense thin-film electrode obtained based on physical processes such as PLD or molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and p corresponding SEM image, EDX element mapping (green and red are for A (Nd or Sr) and B (Co) sites atoms, respectively) and schematic diagram of the crystal structure. Reprinted with permission from Ref. [36]. Copyright 2018 © Elsevier, and Ref. [37]. Copyright 2020 © Elsevier

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the University of Waterloo and the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Sciences, Institute for Sustainable Energy, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China

    Yun Zheng & Jiujun Zhang

  2. Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada

    Yun Zheng & Zhongwei Chen

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  1. Yun Zheng
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Correspondence to Zhongwei Chen or Jiujun Zhang.

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Zheng, Y., Chen, Z. & Zhang, J. Solid Oxide Electrolysis of H2O and CO2 to Produce Hydrogen and Low-Carbon Fuels. Electrochem. Energ. Rev. 4, 508–517 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41918-021-00097-4

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