Enhanced coking resistance and electrochemical performance of methane-fueled SOFCs enabled by a PrBaFe1.9Mo0.1O6-δ-YSZ composite anode

Conventional Ni-based anodes in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) suffer from severe carbon deposition and structural degradation under hydrocarbon-fueled conditions, which significantly limits their long-term stability. In this work, a coking-resistant composite anode is developed by integrating PrBaFe 1.9 Mo 0.1 O 6-δ (PBFM) with yttria-stabilized zirconia ((ZrO 2 ) 0.92 (Y 2 O 3 ) 0.08 , YSZ), and its electrochemical performance and durability are systematically investigated. The incorporation of YSZ leads to a porous composite structure and improved transport properties. When operated at 800 °C using methane as the fuel, the single cell with PBFM-YSZ anode delivers a peak power density of 253 mW cm -2 , which is nearly twice that of 132 mW cm -2 achieved by the cell with pure PBFM anode. In addition, the operating time is also significantly extended from 0.34 h to 5.36 h under 50 mA after YSZ incorporation, while the amount of carbon deposition is markedly reduced from 40.54 wt.% to 10.03 wt.%. These improvements can be attributed to the synergistic effects of the composite structure, which enhances oxide-ion transport, optimizes electrode microstructure, and accelerates electrochemical reaction kinetics, thereby improving both electrochemical activity and carbon tolerance. This work provides an effective strategy for designing high-performance, carbon-resistant and Ni-free anodes for SOFCs operating on hydrocarbon fuels.