Study of Ceria-Nickel Composites for Anode Catalytic Layer for Direct Ethanol SOFC

A hydrothermal route was used to synthesize gadolinia-doped ceria with highly dispersed Ni particles. The microstructural and electrical properties of the cermet revealed that Ni attained percolation at relatively low volume fraction. The cermet was used as a catalytic layer deposited onto the standard Ni-based anode and allowed for the stable operation under ethanol. No evidence of carbon deposits was identified after 50 hours of continuous operation under dry ethanol. Such a result was attributed to both the catalytic properties of the ceria layer and the operation mechanism of gradual internal reforming