Fabrication and characterization of Ni-supported solid oxide fuel cell

Metal-supported solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are promising due to their good mechanical and thermal properties. Stainless steels are often used as a supporting metal. In this study, the possible use of Ni as a supporting metal was tested. Ni is also a good model of supporting metal due to its lack of Cr which poisons Ni anode.YSZ electrolyte and Ni-YSZ anode were coated on a porous Ni support to fabricate Ni-supported SOFC. A porous Ni support in thick-film form (t ~ 150 µm) was prepared by the mold casting of Ni powders. An anode and an electrolyte layer were sequentially coated on the Ni support using screen printing and tape casting methods, respectively. The Ni-supported cell (t ~ 200 µm) was sintered at 1400 °C in a reducing atmosphere and the performance was evaluated at 800 °C with a La_0.6Sr_0.4Co_0.2Fe_0.8O_3-δ (LSCF) cathode. The unit cell showed an open circuit voltage (OCV) of 0.96 V and a peak power density of 470 mW/cm² at 800 °C.     

Samaria-doped Ceria Modified Ni/YSZ Anode for Direct Methane Fuel in Tubular Solid Oxide Fuel Cells by Impregnation Method

以NiO和8%(摩尔分数)氧化钇稳定的氧化锆为原料,采用注凝成型工艺制备了管状固体氧化物燃料电池阳极支撑体．用离子浸渍法对阳极支撑体进行表面修饰．用电化学工作站测单电池交流阻抗和输出性能并且用化学气相色谱仪对电池尾气进行分析．测试结果表明修饰后的阳极在通甲烷的情况下出现了一定程度的积炭,但是积炭现象在一定的测试时间内达到平衡,没有对电池造成破坏,并且显著地提高了电池阳极的电化学性能．单电池在通入氢气和甲烷的情况下最大输出功率密度分别达到了225和400 mW/cm²．     

Porous NiO hollow quasi-nanospheres derived from a new metal-organic framework template as high-performance anode materials for lithium ion batteries

Porous hollow metal oxides derived from nanoscaled metal-organic framework (MOF) have drawn tremendous attention due to their high electrochemical performance in advanced Li-ion batteries (LIBs). In this work, porous NiO hollow quasi-nanospheres were fabricated by an ordinary refluxing reaction combination of a thermal decomposition of new nanostructured Ni-MOF, i.e., {Ni₃(HCOO)₆·DMF}_n. When evaluated as an anode material for lithium ion batteries, the MOF derived NiO electrode exhibits high capacity, good cycling stability and rate performance (760 mAh g^?1 at 200 mA g^?1 after 100 cycles, 392 mAh g^?1 at 3200 mA g^?1). This superior lithium storage performance is mainly attributed to the unique hollow and porous nanostructure of the as-synthesized NiO, which offer enough space to accommodate the dramstic volume change and alleviate the pulverization problem during the repeated lithiation/delithiation processes, and provide more electro-active sites for fast electrochemical reactions as well as promote lithium ions and electrons transfer at the electrolyte/electrode interface.     

Synthesis of nickel nanoparticles supported on hollow samaria-doped ceria particles via the solution-spray plasma technique: Anode catalysts for SOFCs

Aiming at SOFC anode applications, we have synthesized nanometer-sized nickel catalysts supported on hollow spherical particles of samaria-doped ceria (Ni/SDC) by spraying a mixed solution of nickel, samarium, and cerium nitrates into an atmospheric pressure plasma. The as-prepared particles consisted of SDC (average diameter d_SDC = ca. 0.8 µm) and uniformly dispersed nanometer-sized NiO particles. When reduced in H₂ at 800 °C or 1000 °C, Ni nanoparticles (average diameter d_Ni = 34 nm) were found to be embedded uniformly into the SDC surface.     

Characterization of NiO–yttria stabilised zirconia (YSZ) hollow fibres for use as SOFC anodes

NiO–yttria stabilised zirconia (YSZ) hollow fibres with varying NiO content and a desired microstructure were prepared using a phase inversion technique and sintering. By controlling the fabrication parameters, microstructures with predominately finger-like pores near the inner and outer surfaces and a denser central layer with sponge-like pores were produced, for use as substrates for anode-supported hollow fibre solid oxide fuel cells (HF-SOFC). The NiO–YSZ fibres were reduced to Ni–YSZ at 250–700 °C in hydrogen flowing at 20 cm³ min^? 1 to produce Ni–YSZ hollow fibres, the mechanical and electrical properties of which were determined subsequently, reduction to Ni being verified by X-ray diffraction. The effects of NiO concentration and sintering temperature of the fibre precursors on the conductivity, strength and porosity of the reduced hollow fibres were investigated to assess their suitability for use as anode substrates. As expected, increasing Ni concentration increased electrical conductivities and decreased mechanical strength. Sintering temperature had a critical effect in producing axially conductive hollow fibres of sufficient mechanical strength for use as SOFC anodes. The hollow fibres retained their initial microstructure through the reduction process, though ca. 41% volume contraction is predicted on reduction of NiO to Ni, producing increased porosity in the reduced fibres. The mean porosity of the Ni–YSZ hollow fibres was ca. 60% and ca. 40% after sintered at 1250 °C and 1400 °C, respectively. The mean pore sizes for all the fibres after reduction varied between ca. 0.3 and 1 µm. The hollow fibres produced with 60% NiO, of length ca. 300 mm, electrical conductivities of ca. (1–2.25) × 10⁵ S m^? 1 and a porosity of ca. 43% are being used currently to construct and test the electrical behaviour of an anode-supported HF-SOFC.     

Highly dispersed anodes for solid oxide fuel cells using NiO/YSZ/BZY triple-phase composite powders prepared by spray pyrolysis

NiO/Y₂O₃-stabilized ZrO₂ (YSZ)/Y-doped BaZrO₃ (BZY) triple-phase composite powders were prepared by spray pyrolysis and evaluated for Ni/YSZ/BZY cermet anodes, which are considered effective for dry CH₄ operation in solid oxide fuel cells. The structure of the particles in these powders was fine crystal fragments, and the individual material phases were clearly separated and highly dispersed within the particles. The Ni/YSZ/BZY cermet anodes fabricated with these composite powders maintained a fine electrode microstructure equivalent to that in a simple Ni/YSZ cermet anode manufactured using a composite powder prepared by spray pyrolysis. Furthermore, the addition of BZY improved the anode performance in humidified H₂ and dry CH₄ operation.     

NiCo<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> polyhedra with controllable particle size as high-performance anode for lithium-ion battery

Different particle sizes of dodecahedron precursors are synthesized by controlling the polarity of the solution. Through the results of scanning electron microscope (SEM) images, it can be found that different particle sizes of precursors present obvious edge angles and their morphology can be well retained after annealing. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements suggest that the annealed polyhedral products are pure single-phase NiCo₂O₄. When tested as lithium-ion battery anode, 0.5 μm NiCo₂O₄ polyhedra exhibits a specific capacity of 1050 mAh g^?1 at 0.1 C at the 60th cycle, which was higher than theoretical capacity of single metal oxide (NiO 718 mAh g^?1 and Co₃O₄ 890 mAh g^?1). It also exhibits the highest rate capability with an average discharge capacity of 890, 700, 490, 330, and 300 mAh g^?1 at 0.5, 2, 4, 8, and 10 C, respectively. Those advantages are attributed to that small-sized particle with great surface areas decrease the actual current density at the surface and inner of the prepared electrode.     

Fabrication and electrochemical investigation of MWO<Subscript>4</Subscript> (M = Co,Ni) nanoparticles as high-performance anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

In this work, the MWO₄ (M = Co, Ni) nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by a facile one-step hydrothermal method and used as novel anode materials for LIBs. The micromorphology of obtained CoWO₄ and NiWO₄ was uniform nanoparticles with the size of ~60 and ~40 nm, respectively, by structural characterization including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). When tested as lithium-ion battery anode, CoWO₄ nanoparticles exhibited a stabilized reversible capacity of 980 mA h g^?1 at 200 mA g^?1 after 120 cycles and 632 mA h g^?1 at 1000 mA g^?1 even after 400 cycles. And, the discharge capacity was as high as 550 mA h g^?1 at the 400th cycle for NiWO₄ nanoparticles. The excellent electrochemical performance could be attributed to the unique nanoparticles structure of the materials, which can not only shorten the diffusion length for electrons and lithium ions but also provide a large specific surface area for lithium storage.     

Intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell using (La,Sr)(Co,Fe)O3-based cathodes

Anode-supported SOFCs involving LSCF (La_0.6Sr_0.4Co_0.2Fe_0.8O_3−δ)-based cathodes are fabricated utilizing GDC interlayer on 8YSZ electrolyte for intermediate temperatures. The GDC interlayer between the LSCF cathode and YSZ electrolyte is used to prevent formation of insulating phases such as SrZrO₃ or La₂Zr₂O₇. The cell performance with the GDC interlayer was ten times better than the one without GDC at operating temperature of 750 °C. However, the observed power density (370 mW/cm²) was lower than the value reported in the literature. This can be attributed to an imperfect GDC interlayer in the present study. The GDC interlayer was porous and non-uniform, so that adverse interfacial reactions could not be completely prevented. The chemical incompatibility at the interface was evaluated by SEM and EPMA, which explains the dependence of cell performance on sintering temperatures of the GDC interlayer.     

Fe alloying effect on the performance of the Ni anode in hydrogen fuel

Composite materials of YSZ (yttria-stabilized zirconia) with various Ni–Fe alloys were synthesized and evaluated as the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) anode using a 200-µm thick YSZ electrolyte as support and YSZ +La_0.8Sr_0.2MnO₃ (LSM) as cathode. The single cell with the YSZ + Ni_0.75Fe_0.25 anode exhibited the highest performance among all the investigated cells, e.g. a peak power density of 403, 337, 218 and 112 mW/cm² was achieved with H₂ fuel at 900, 850, 800 and 750 °C, respectively. The composite anode with the Ni_0.75Fe_0.25 alloy also had the lowest polarization resistance of 0.55 Ω·cm² at 800 °C among all the alloy compositions, indicating that this specific alloy offered a better anode composition than pure Ni. The possible mechanism for the improved performance of Ni with the Fe alloying addition towards H₂ oxidation was discussed.     

Spray pyrolyzed NiO–C nanocomposite as an anode material for the lithium-ion battery with enhanced capacity retention

NiO–C nanocomposite was prepared by a spray pyrolysis method using a mixture of Ni(NO₃)₂ and citric acid solution at 600 °C. The microstructure and morphology of the NiO–C composite were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) mapping, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results showed that the NiO nanoparticles were surrounded by amorphous carbon. Electrochemical tests demonstrated that the NiO–C nanocomposites exhibited better capacity retention (382 mAh g^− 1 for 50 cycles) than that of pure NiO (141 mAh g^− 1 for 50 cycles), which was also prepared by spray pyrolysis using only Ni(NO₃)₂ as precursor. The enhanced capacity retention can be mainly attributed to the NiO–C composite structure, composed of NiO nanoparticles surrounded by carbon, which can accommodate the volume changes during charge–discharge and improve the electrical conductivity between the NiO nanoparticles.     

Template-free synthesis of hierarchical NiO microtubes as high performance anode materials for Li-ion batteries

Hierarchical nanostructured NiO (h-NiO) microtubes were prepared by a simple wet-chemical synthesis without the use of template or surfactant, followed by the calcination of α-Ni(OH)₂ precursor. The structural characterization of the h-NiO microtubes were performed by scanning microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), the results of which indicated that the obtained h-NiO microtubes are covered by the nanosheet grown perpendicularly on the tube surface. The unique hierarchical nanostructure of h-NiO microtubes with high surface area and many voids facilitates the electrochemical reaction as well as the short ion and electron transport pathway. Therefore, as anode electrode of Li-ion batteries, the h-NiO microtubes deliver largely enhanced cycle capacity of 770 mAh·g⁻¹ at a current density of 0.5 C after 200 cycles with high columbic efficiency, compared to the NiO rods. These results suggest that the h-NiO microtubes can be a promising anode material for Li-ion batteries.     

Electrochemical lithium storage properties of desert sands

SiO₂ is one of the most promising lithium storage materials for lithium-ion batteries anodes due to its low cost, good environmental compatibility, low working voltage, and high-specific capacity. In this work, the desert sands, which are rich in SiO₂, are investigated as the anode material for lithium-ion batteries. The electrochemical activation, lithium storage capacity, and cycle properties are highly dependent on the particle size distribution of sands. As the average particle sizes of sands gradually decrease, the reversible lithium storage capacity increases from 137 mAh g^?1 (several microns) to 492 mAh g^?1 (several submicrons). The 72 h-milled sands (average particle size: ~1 μm) deliver a stable lithium storage capacity of ~400 mAh g^?1 over 400 cycles with the capacity retention as high as 95%. The reason for the electrochemical activation, lithium storage capacity, and cycle properties of sands associated with their particle size distribution is also discussed.     

A facile synthesis of heteroatom-doped carbon framework anchored with TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanoparticles for high performance lithium ion battery anodes

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂)-based materials have been well studied because of the high safety and excellent cycling performance when employed as anode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs), whereas, the relatively low theoretical capacity (only 335 mAh g^?1) and serious kinetic problems such as poor electrical conductivity (~?10^?13S cm^?1) and low lithium diffusion coefficient (~?10^?9 to 10^?13 cm² s^?1) hinder the development of the TiO₂-based anode materials. To overcome these drawbacks, we present a facile strategy to synthesize N/S dual-doping carbon framework anchored with TiO₂ nanoparticles (NSC@TiO₂) as LIBs anode. Typically, TiO₂ nanoparticles are anchored into the porous graphene-based sheets with N, S dual doping feature, which is produced by carbonization and KOH activation process. The as-obtained NSC@TiO₂ electrode exhibits a high specific capacity of 250 mAh g^?1 with a coulombic efficiency of 99% after 500 cycles at 200 mA g^?1 and excellent rate performance, indicating its promising as anode material for LIBs.     

Preparation of NiO decorated CNT/ZnO core-shell hybrid nanocomposites with the aid of ultrasonication for enhancing the performance of hybrid supercapacitors

Supercapacitor (SC) electrodes fabricated with the combination of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and metal oxides are showing remarkable advancements in the electrochemical properties. Herein, NiO decorated CNT/ZnO core-shell hybrid nanocomposites (CNT/ZnO/NiO HNCs) are facilely synthesized by a two-step solution-based technique for the utilization in hybrid supercapacitors. Benefitting from the synergistic advantages of three materials, the CNT/ZnO/NiO HNCs based electrode has evinced superior areal capacity of ~67 µAh cm⁻² at a current density of 3 mA cm⁻² with an exceptional cycling stability of 112% even after 3000 cycles of continuous operation. Highly conductive CNTs and electrochemically active ZnO contribute to the performance enhancement. Moreover, the decoration of NiO on the surface of CNT/ZnO core-shell increases the electro active sites and stimulates the faster redox reactions which play a vital role in augmenting the electrochemical properties. Making the use of high areal capacity and ultra-long stability, a hybrid supercapacitor (HSC) was assembled with CNT/ZnO/NiO HNCs coated nickel foam (CNT/ZnO/NiO HNCs/NF) as positive electrode and CNTs coated NF as negative electrode. The fabricated HSC delivered an areal capacitance of 287 mF cm⁻² with high areal energy density (67 µWh cm⁻²) and power density (16.25 mW cm⁻²). The combination of battery type CNT/ZnO/NiO HNCs/NF and EDLC type CNT/NF helped in holding the capacity for a long period of time. Thus, the systematic assembly of CNTs and ZnO along with the NiO decoration enlarges the application window with its high rate electrochemical properties.     

Processing and characterization of ultra-thin yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolytic films for SOFC

Sub-micron yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte layer was prepared by a liquid state deposition method and with an average thickness of 0.5 μm to improve the performance of the anode-supported solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). The YSZ precursors, containing yttrium and zirconium species and an additive, poly-vinyl-pyrrolidone (PVP), were spin-coated on a Ni/YSZ anode substrate. Several properties, including crystalline phases, microstructures, and current–voltage (I–V) characteristics, were investigated. The thin film of 4 mol% Y₂O₃-doped ZrO₂ (4YSZ) consisted of cubic, tetragonal, and a trace of monoclinic phases, and showed a crack-free layer after sintering at 1300 °C. The anode supported SOFC, which consists of the Ni–YSZ anode, 4YSZ electrolyte, and Pt/Pd cathode, showed power densities of 477 mW/cm² at 600 °C, and 684 mW/cm² at 800 °C. Otherwise, the surface cracks of the other YSZ-coated samples (e.g. 8YSZ) can be repaired by a multi-coating method.     

Synthesis of Porous NiO Nanorods as High‐Performance Anode Materials for Lithium‐Ion Batteries

1D nanostructured metal oxides with porous structure have drawn wide attention to being used as high‐performance anode materials for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). This study puts forward a simple and scalable strategy to synthesize porous NiO nanorods with the help of a thermal treatment of metal‐organic frameworks in air. The NiO nanorods with an average diameter of approximately 38 nm are composed of nanosized primary particles. When evaluated as anode materials for LIBs, an initial discharge capacity of 743 mA h g^?1 is obtained at a current density of 100 mA g^?1, and a high reversible capacity is still maintained as high as 700 mA h g^?1 even after 60 charge–discharge cycles. The excellent electrochemical performance is mainly ascribed to the 1D porous structure.     

Nanogravel structured NiO/Ni foam as electrode for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

Nanogravel structured NiO/Ni electrodes were fabricated by using two-step thermal oxidation method of commercial nickel (Ni) foam in air for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The macro- and micro-structures of the NiO/Ni foam were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), and Raman spectroscopy. Galvanostatic tests revealed that the electrode exhibits no obvious capacity fading over 40 cycles at 1 C (718 mAg^?1) and 2.5 C (1.8 Ag^?1) current rate. The discharge capacity was higher than the theoretical capacity of NiO even at a high-current rate of 2.5 C. The electrodes can deliver a reversible capacity of 1116.65 mAh g^?1 after 20th cycle at 1 C rate and 1026.20 mAh g^?1 after 40th cycle at 2.5 C rate. The cyclic voltammograms and impedance spectra analysis indicated that a redox reaction of NiO–Ni⁰ with formation and decomposition of Li₂O. The excellent electrochemical performance is mainly attributed to the nanogravel structure of the NiO/Ni foam electrodes as well as its excellent electrical contact between NiO and Ni. The unique nanostructured NiO on the highly conductive metallic Ni in core resulted in the enhanced discharge capacity, coulombic efficiency, cyclic stability, and rate capability when utilized as negative electrodes in LIBs.     

A new nano-structured Ni(II) Schiff base complex: synthesis,characterization, optical band gaps,and biological activity

New Ni(II) Schiff base complexes [{Ni(L)(H₂O)Cl} where HL = 2-((pyridin-3-ylmethylene)amino)phenol] have been synthesized using the reflux and sonochemical methods. The nickel oxide NiO nanopowder was obtained from the metal complexes after calcination at 650 °C for 2 h. The Schiff base complexes and NiO powders were characterized in detail. The HL and its metal complexes were depicted high activity towards microorganism and breast carcinoma cells. The inhibitory activity against breast carcinoma (MCF-7) were detected with IC₅₀ = 5.5, 12.5 and 9.6 for HL, complex (1) and complex (2), respectively. The optical band gap energy was 3.6, 3.0 and 2.37 eV for Ni complexes (1), (2) and NiO, respectively. The microstructure of the formed NiO powders appeared as cubic-like structure. Furthermore, magnetic properties of NiO sample were identified and paramagnetic property was found at a room temperature. The saturation magnetization and coercive force for the NiO sample were 0.47 emu/g and 42.68 Oe, respectively.