Enhancing CO2 electrolysis performance with vanadium-doped perovskite cathode in solid oxide electrolysis cell

CO2 electrolysis using solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) is a promising technology for sustainable conversion of CO2 to chemicals and the intermittent renewable electricity storage. However, the lack of highly active and stable cathode inhibits the development of CO2 electrolysis in SOECs for practical applications. Herein, La0.5Sr0.5Fe1-xVxO3-delta/Ce0.8Gd0.2O2-delta (LSFVx/GDC, x = 0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15) composite with high catalytic activity and operating stability is exploited as cathode material of SOEC for CO2 electrolysis. The introduction of vanadium promotes the formation of oxygen deficiencies in LSFVx/GDC, and alters the electronic structure of Fe, thus greatly enhances the adsorption and dissociation of CO2. Compared with the LSF/GDC cathode, the LSFV0.05/GDC cathode achieves ca. 51.2% increase in current density at 1.6 V and 800 degrees C.