Enhancing durability with Ni–GDC co-impregnated electrodes for solid oxide electrolysis cells

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Matsubara, Kyoko and Ikegawa, Kazutaka and Yamada, Kei and Yamamoto, Yoshihisa and Yasutake, Masahiro and Tachikawa, Yuya and Lyth, Stephen M. and Matsuda, Junko and Sasaki, Kazunari (2026) Enhancing durability with Ni–GDC co-impregnated electrodes for solid oxide electrolysis cells. Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 173 (7). 074509. ISSN 1945-7111 (https://doi.org/10.1149/1945-7111/ae5741)

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Abstract

Solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) are promising electrochemical devices for highly-efficient hydrogen production, but their long-term durability remains a critical challenge, particularly for SOEC electrodes operating under harsh highly-humidified electrolysis conditions. Conventional nickel–yttria-stabilized zirconia (Ni–YSZ) cermet cathode suffer from degradation associated with nickel aggregation and/or sublimation, limiting long-term stability. To address these challenges, we have developed Ni–GDC co-impregnated electrodes, in which metallic Ni and gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC) are impregnated onto a Ni-free stable backbone. This study focuses on the electrochemical performance and long-term durability of such electrodes for SOECs and related devices. 1000- h durability tests demonstrate that Ni–GDC co-impregnated electrodes exhibit significantly improved stability during steam electrolysis, corresponding to a tenfold reduction in the degradation rate of the cathode potential compared to Ni–GDC cermet electrodes. Notably, an electrode with a Ni:GDC volume ratio of 1:5 achieved the highest durability. These findings highlight that employing a Ni-free backbone decorated with highly dispersed Ni and GDC nanoparticles is an effective strategy for enhancing cathode durability of SOECs.

ORCID iDs

Matsubara, Kyoko, Ikegawa, Kazutaka, Yamada, Kei, Yamamoto, Yoshihisa, Yasutake, Masahiro, Tachikawa, Yuya, Lyth, Stephen M. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9563-867X, Matsuda, Junko and Sasaki, Kazunari;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)