Thermo-photo catalytic anode process for carbonate-superstructured solid fuel cells.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 38165931.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1073/pnas.2314996121 and PMC identifier 10786274.
- Licence recorded as CC BY-NC-ND.
- Because redistribution is not established, this page shows the abstract only. Follow the links below for the full text.
Abstract
Converting hydrocarbons and greenhouse gases (i.e., carbon dioxide, CO<sub>2</sub>) directly into electricity through fuel cells at intermediate temperatures (450 to 550 °C) remains a significant challenge, primarily due to the sluggish activation of C-H and C=O bonds. Here, we demonstrated a unique strategy to address this issue, in which light illumination was introduced into the thermal catalytic CO<sub>2</sub> reforming of ethane in the anode as a unique thermo-photo anode process for carbonate-superstructured solid fuel cells. The light-enhanced fuel activation led to excellent cell performance with a record-high peak power density of 168 mW cm<sup>-2</sup> at an intermediate temperature of 550 °C. Furthermore, no degradation was observed during ~50 h operation. Such a successful integration of photo energy into the fuel cell system provides a new direction for the development of efficient fuel cells.