Layered LiCoO2-LiFeO2 Heterostructure Composite for Semiconductor-Based Fuel Cells

Enabling fast ionic transport at a low-temperature range (400-600 degrees C) is of great importance to promoting the development of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). In this study, a layer-structured LiCoO2-LiFeO2 heterostructure composite is explored for the low-temperature (LT) SOFCs. Fuel cell devices with different configurations are fabricated to investigate the multifunction property of LiCoO2-LiFeO2 heterostructure composites. The LiCoO2-LiFeO2 composite is employed as a cathode in conventional SOFCs and as a semiconductor membrane layer in semiconductor-based fuel cells (SBFCs). Enhanced ionic conductivity is realized by a composite of LiCoO2-LiFeO2 and Sm3+ doped ceria (SDC) electrolyte in SBFC. All these designed fuel cell devices display high open-circuit voltages (OCVs), along with promising cell performance. An improved power density of 714 mW cm(-2) is achieved from the new SBFC device, compared to the conventional fuel cell configuration with LiCoO2-LiFeO2 as the cathode (162 mW cm(-2) at 550 degrees C). These findings reveal promising multifunctional layered oxides for developing high-performance LT-SOFCs.

Automated summary

This study investigates a layer-structured LiCoO2-LiFeO2 heterostructure composite for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), exploring its multifunctional properties in different fuel cell configurations. The results show promising potential for the composite material to enhance ionic conductivity and achieve high performance in low-temperature fuel cells.