In-situ Formed Catalysts for Active, Durable, and Thermal-stable Ammonia Protonic Ceramic Fuel Cells at 550 oC

Ammonia protonic ceramic fuel cells (NH3-PCFCs) are promising and attractive energy-conversion devices owing to their high energy density, zero-carbon emission, and safety. The development of NH3-PCFCs, however, depends largely on the insufficient activity and poor durability of typical Ni-based anodes for ammonia decomposition, especially at low temperatures such as 550 °C. Herein, we report a self-assembled heterostructured Ru0.95Cu0.05Nix (RCN) catalyst obtained through an in situ reaction between the surface-decorated Ru0.95Cu0.05 nanoparticles and the Ni grain in the anode under typical processing conditions. At 550 °C, Ni–BaZr0.1Ce0.7Y0.1Yb0.1O3 anode-supported PCFCs with RCN catalysts exhibit a high peak power density of 0.732 W cm−2 and a significantly enhanced durability of 100 h in NH3. Moreover, the cells demonstrate improved thermal stability compared with the bare cell during a 31-cycle thermal cycling test in NH3 between 550 and 700 °C. The enhanced performance is likely attributed to the synergistic effects of Ru and Cu in RCN for NH3 decomposition, resulting in a more vital interaction of NH3 than that of the bare anode surfaces, as confirmed by NH3 thermal conversion, electrochemical performance, and theoretical simulations.