Design of Interface Between Cathode and Electrolyte in SOFCs

High temperature solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are considered one of the most environmentally friendly and efficient electricity generation technology from fuels such as hydrogen and natural gas with high efficiency and very low greenhouse gas emission. Over the last few decades, the development of SOFC technology has experienced significant progress and much of the recent research have paid great efforts in understanding the processes occurring at the electrode/electrolyte interfaces. As electrochemical reactions mainly proceed at the gas, electrode and electrolyte three phase boundaries (TPBs), the microstructure and properties of the electrode/electrolyte interfaces thus play a crucial role in determining the overall cell performance and durability. This is particularly the case of the O2 reduction reaction at the cathode/electrolyte interface. Herein, the progress and achievements in the fundamental researches and understanding of the interface evolution behavior and interfacial phenomena are reviewed. The challenges and prospects of the design of cathode and electrolyte interface in SOFCs are discussed.