Asymmetric anode substrate fabricated by phase inversion process and its interface modification for solid oxide fuel cells

NiO/8YSZ anode supports for planar solid oxide fuel cells are prepared via phase inversion method. With the asymmetric anode structures, two approaches are applied to modify the interface active zones: One is eliminating the dense layer of the anode by mesh-assisted phase inversion process and laser ablation. The other is the introduction of an anode functional layer to further improve the electrolyte/anode interface. Furthermore, different anode structures fabricated by mesh mould and laser ablation are compared. The results show dense layers are effectively removed by mesh mould and laser ablation, and the peak power densities of the single cells all increase. Compared to the two methods on eliminating the dense layer, laser ablation is more effective way to modify the cell performance. For further improving interface active areas of anode support which is modified by laser ablation, an anode functional layer (AFL) is introduced to enlarge the three-phase boundary density. And the peak power density increases from 169 to 370 mW cm−2 at 800 °C. These results imply that the effective structural modification and the introduction of the AFL may be promising approaches for enhancing the electrochemical performance for SOFCs.