Investigations of mesoporous CeO2–Ru as a reforming catalyst layer for solid oxide fuel cells

Two types of ceria (CeO2) materials: mesoporous powders and mesoporous flowerlike microspheres have been synthesized. The products were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM and N2 sorption measurements. Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) with a reforming catalyst layer applied on the anode side were fabricated and operated with iso-octane/air/H2O/CO2 fuel mixtures. The fuel cells with a porous catalyst layer yield much higher maximum power density than those without a catalyst layer. In particular, the performance of the fuel cell with a flowerlike mesoporous CeO2–Ru microsphere catalyst layer is obviously improved, producing maximum power density up to 0.654 W cm−2 at 600 °C. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis showed the kinetic characteristic of anode reactions in the fuel cell with porous CeO2–Ru microsphere catalyst layers was significantly enhanced.