Facile Construction of Nanostructured Cermet Anodes with Strong Metal–Oxide Interaction for Efficient and Durable Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Nanostructured anodes generate massive reaction sites to oxidize fuels in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs); however, the nonexistence of a practically viable approach for the construction of nanostructures and the retention of these nanostructures under the harsh operating conditions of SOFCs poses a significant challenge. Herein, a simple procedure is reported for the construction of a nanostructured Ni-Gd-doped CeO2 anode based on the direct assembly of pre-formed nanocomposite powder with strong metal-oxide interaction. The directly assembled anode forms heterointerfaces with the electrolyte owing to the electrochemical polarization current and exhibits excellent structural robustness against thermal ripening. An electrolyte-supported cell with the directly assembled anode produces a peak power density of 0.73 W cm-2 at 800 °C, while maintaining stability for 100 h, which is in contrast to the drastic degradation of the cermet anode prepared using the conventional method. These findings provide clarity on the design and construction of durable nanostructured anodes and other electrodes for SOFCs.