(Press-News.org)
Solid oxide cells (SOCs), including solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs), are among the most promising energy conversion technologies due to their high efficiency and fuel flexibility. However, the high-temperature sintering required for their manufacture often leads to undesirable reactions at the electrolyte and electrode interface, degrading cell performance. A thin, dense ceria-based barrier layer, typically composed of gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC), is widely used to prevent these reactions. Achieving sufficient densification of this barrier layer at lower temperatures remains a key challenge for advancing SOC technology.
The team published their work in Journal of Advanced Ceramics on November 14, 2024.
In the review, the authors systematically examine various strategies to enhance densification at reduced temperatures. These include optimizing powder synthesis methods, such as wet-chemical routes and mechanochemical processes, to produce finer and less-agglomerated particles with higher sintering activity. Additionally, it highlights the role of sintering aids, novel deposition methods, and post-sintering treatments in achieving denser microstructures. Emerging techniques like cold sintering and flash sintering are also discussed for their potential to revolutionize the field.
Significance
This review provides a comprehensive analysis of current technologies for the fabrication of ceria-based barrier layers in SOCs. By showing the key challenges and promising research directions, the study serves as a valuable resource for researchers and engineers working to improve the performance, durability, and cost-effectiveness of SOCs.
Authors’ Opinion
“The insights presented in this review aim to guide future research and development efforts in achieving low-temperature densification of multi-layer ceramic materials,” said a co-author of the study. “We believe this will have a significant impact on the scalability and commercial viability of solid oxide cells.”
About Author
Na Ni is a tenured associate professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and an Honorary Lecturer at Imperial College London. She received her B.S. degree from Fudan University in China, her M.S. degree from University of Kiel in Germany, and obtained her PhD in materials science from Oxford University in the UK. She was an EPSRC Research Fellow at Imperial College London before moving to SJTU in 2017. Her research interests are on the design and understanding of nanoscale structure and chemistry in controlling material properties for optimizing materials design and processing. Her current research is mainly focused on processing and characterization of advanced ceramic materials for harsh environmental applications, including solid oxide cells and nuclear coatings. She has published over 60 research papers in high impact journals including Nature Communications and Acta Materialia with more than 3500 citations.
About Journal of Advanced Ceramics
Journal of Advanced Ceramics (JAC) is an international academic journal that presents the state-of-the-art results of theoretical and experimental studies on the processing, structure, and properties of advanced ceramics and ceramic-based composites. JAC is Fully Open Access, monthly published by Tsinghua University Press, and exclusively available via SciOpen. JAC’s 2023 IF is 18.6, ranking in Top 1 (1/31, Q1) among all journals in “Materials Science, Ceramics” category, and its 2023 CiteScore is 21.0 (top 5%) in Scopus database. ResearchGate homepage: https://www.researchgate.net/journal/Journal-of-Advanced-Ceramics-2227-8508
About SciOpen
SciOpen is an open access resource of scientific and technical content published by Tsinghua University Press and its publishing partners. SciOpen provides end-to-end services across manuscript submission, peer review, content hosting, analytics, identity management, and expert advice to ensure each journal’s development. By digitalizing the publishing process, SciOpen widens the reach, deepens the impact, and accelerates the exchange of ideas.
END
The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), headed by Minister Yoo Sang-im, held the launch ceremony for the "AI Safety Institute" (AISI) on Wednesday, November 27, at the Pangyo Global R&D Center.
At the "AI Seoul Summit"last May, leaders from 10 countries recognized safety as a key component of responsible AI innovation and emphasized the importance of establishing AI safety institutes and fostering global collaboration for safe AI. President Yoon Suk Yeol also expressed his commitment, stating, "We will work towards establishing an AI safety institute in Korea and actively participate ...
Exposure to air pollutants (PM2.5 and PM10) is associated with an increased risk of persistent long-COVID symptoms, partly due to its impact on the severity of the acute infection. This is the main conclusion of a study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by “la Caixa” Foundation, in collaboration with the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), and published in Environmental Health Perspectives.
Long-COVID is a heterogeneous condition in which symptoms like fatigue, breathlessness, and cognitive issues persist for months after ...
CHICAGO – Soccer heading may cause more damage to the brain than previously thought, according to a study being presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Heading is a widely used technique in soccer where the players control the direction of the ball by hitting it with their head. In recent years, research has been done that suggests a link between repeated head impacts and neurodegenerative diseases, such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
“The potential effects of repeated head impacts in sport are ...
A new study has linked distinct neural and behavioral characteristics in autism spectrum disorder to a simple computational principle. Centered on the “dynamic range” of neurons, which reflects how gradually or sharply they respond to input, the study suggests that individuals with autism spectrum disorder have an increased dynamic range in their neuronal response, resulting in a more detailed but slower response to changes. This research defies previous descriptions of ASD as a “broken cog in the machine” and provides a deeper, richer account of the computational basis of ASD.
[Hebrew University of Jerusalem]– Researchers Dr. Yuval Hart and Oded ...
Large language models, a type of AI that analyses text, can predict the results of proposed neuroscience studies more accurately than human experts, finds a new study led by UCL (University College London) researchers.
The findings, published in Nature Human Behaviour, demonstrate that large language models (LLMs) trained on vast datasets of text can distil patterns from scientific literature, enabling them to forecast scientific outcomes with superhuman accuracy.
The researchers say this highlights ...
As we age, our cognitive and motor functions deteriorate, which in turn affects our independence and overall quality of life. Research efforts to ameliorate or even completely abolish this have given rise to technologies that show a lot of promise.
Among these is non-invasive brain stimulation: a term encompassing a set of techniques that can affect brain functions externally and noninvasively, without the need for surgery or implants. One such promising technique, in particular, is anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (atDCS), which uses ...
Harvesting water from the air and decreasing humidity are crucial to realizing a more comfortable life for humanity. Water-adsorption polymers have been playing a key part in atmospheric water harvesting and desiccant air conditioning, but desorption so that the polymers can be efficiently reused has been an issue. Now, Osaka Metropolitan University researchers have found a way to make desorption of these polymers more efficient.
Usually, heat of around 100°C is required to desorb these polymers, but Graduate School of Engineering student Daisuke Ikegawa, Assistant Professor Arisa Fukatsu, ...
A large new population study of men over 45 indicates insulin resistance may be an important risk factor for the development of the world’s most common heart valve disease – aortic stenosis (AS).
Published today in the peer-reviewed journal Annals of Medicine, the findings are believed to be the first to highlight this previously unrecognised risk factor for the disease.
It is hoped that by demonstrating this link between AS and insulin resistance – when cells fail to respond effectively to insulin and the body makes more than necessary to maintain normal glucose ...
Effective immunity hinges on the ability to sense infection and cellular transformation. In humans, there is a specialised molecule on the surface of cells termed MR1. MR1 allows sensing of certain small molecule metabolites derived from cellular and microbial sources; however, the breadth of metabolite sensing is unclear.
Published in PNAS, researchers at the Monash University Biomedicine Discovery Institute have identified a form of Vitamin B6 bound to MR1 as a means of engaging tumour-reactive immune cells. The work involved an international collaborative team co-led by researchers from the University of Melbourne.
According ...
A collaborative effort by the research groups of Professor Haruhiko Fuwa from Chuo University and Professor Masashi Tsuda from Kochi University has culminated in the structure elucidation and total synthesis of anticancer marine natural products, iriomoteolide-1a and -1b. These natural products were originally isolated from the marine dinoflagellate collected off the Iriomote Island, Okinawa, Japan.
Because of its potent anticancer activity, iriomoteolide-1a is an intriguing natural product that attract immense attention from the chemical community around the globe. ...
