Direct utilization of methanol and ethanol in solid oxide fuel cells using Cu–Co(Ru)/Zr0.35Ce0.65O2−δ anodes

The direct utilization of methanol (MeOH) and ethanol (EtOH) was investigated on Cu–Co(Ru)/Zr0.35Ce0.65O2 anodes for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) prepared by impregnation. Cells had similar performance and stability in H2 and MeOH, while in EtOH the performance varied with time; that is, the power density initially increased, and then declined exponentially. This behavior was likely a consequence of carbon deposition that initially improved electronic conductivity to the anode functional layer, and subsequently blocked active sites. For all cells, the performance was recovered by re-exposing the anode to humidified hydrogen. In some cases, the cell performance exceeded the initial activity measured in hydrogen. Thus, the direct utilization of MeOH and EtOH did not irreversibly deactivate the Co(Ru)/Zr0.35Ce0.65O2 anodes.