Novel Ceramic Materials for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells: Challenges and Opportunities

Prof. Dr. Diego Germán Lamas

Abstract

Solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are among the most efficient technologies for electrochemical energy conversion, combining high efficiency, fuel flexibility, and low emissions. Despite these advantages, their widespread adoption is still hindered by the high operating temperatures required to achieve adequate performance, which lead to accelerated degradation, complex system design, and elevated costs. Overcoming these technological barriers is a key challenge for enabling SOFCs to become a broadly applicable energy technology.

In this plenary lecture, the main challenges faced by SOFCs will be discussed, with particular emphasis on strategies aimed at reducing system complexity and fabrication costs. Within this context, symmetric SOFCs (S-SOFCs), which employ a single electrode material operating reversibly as both anode and cathode, emerge as a promising approach with clear technological and economic advantages. The feasibility of symmetric designs relies on electrode materials that combine mixed ionic–electronic conductivity with structural robustness and redox stability over a wide range of operating conditions. Perovskite-based oxides, including both single and double perovskite structures, provide a versatile materials platform for symmetric electrodes. Through appropriate compositional design and B-site engineering, these materials can accommodate oxygen non-stoichiometry while preserving crystallographic stability and catalytic activity under alternating oxidizing and reducing atmospheres.

The growing importance of in situ and operando synchrotron-based techniques will also be highlighted, as modern and powerful tools for evaluating SOFC materials. By enabling direct observation of structural and phase evolution under realistic operating conditions, this approach plays a crucial role in advancing the rational design and reliable assessment of next-generation electrode materials for SOFC technologies.