Novel core-shell SDC/amorphous Na₂CO₃ nanocomposite electrolyte for low-temperature SOFCs

Novel core-shell SDC (Ce_0.8Sm_0.2O_1.9)/amorphous Na₂CO₃ nanocomposite was prepared for the first time. The core-shell nanocomposite particles are smaller than 100 nm with amorphous Na₂CO₃ shell of 4-6 nm in thickness. The nanocomposite electrolyte shows superionic conductivity above 300 °C, where the conductivity reaches over 0.1 S cm^-1. Such high conductive nanocomposite has been applied in low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LTSOFCs) with an excellent performance of 0.8 W cm^-2 at 550 °C. A new potential approach of designing and developing superionic conductors for LTSOFCs was presented to develop interface as 'superionic highway' in two-phase materials based on coated SDC.