Dual-scale porous electrodes for solid oxide fuel cells from polymer foams

Porous nanostructured mixed-conducting materials with dual-scale porosities are fabricated using foam-like templates. The porous structures, as shown in the Figure, contain large pores (0.8-1.5 mum) for rapid gas transport and small pores (approximate to2.5 and 35 nm) for fast electrochemical reactions that require large surface areas. Thus, these electrode materials are ideally suited for electrochemical and catalytic applications, such as for solid oxide fuel cells.