Recent advances in solid oxide cell technology for electrolysis

Electrolysis feels the heat Electricity infrastructure powered by sunlight and wind requires flexible storage capacity to compensate for the intermittency of these sources. In this context, Hauch et al. review progress in solid oxide electrolyzer technology to split water and/or carbon dioxide into chemical fuels. These devices, which rely on oxide conduction between cathode and anode, use nonprecious metals as catalysts and operate above 600°C, thereby benefiting from thermodynamic and kinetic efficiencies. The authors highlight recent optimizations of cell components as well as systems-level architecture. Science , this issue p. eaba6118