Over the past several years, important strides have been made in demonstrating protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs). Such fuel cells offer the potential of environmentally sustainable and cost-effective electric power generation. However, their power outputs have lagged behind predictions based on their high electrolyte conductivities. Here we overcome PCFC performance and stability challenges by employing a high-activity cathode, PrBa_0.5Sr_0.5Co_1.5Fe_0.5O_5+δ (PBSCF), in combination with a chemically stable electrolyte, BaZr_0.4Ce_0.4Y_0.1Yb_0.1O₃ (BZCYYb4411). We deposit a thin dense interlayer film of the cathode material onto the electrolyte surface to mitigate contact resistance, an approach which is made possible by the proton permeability of PBSCF. The peak power densities of the resulting fuel cells exceed 500 mW cm⁻² at 500 °C, while also offering exceptional, long-term stability under CO₂.

在过去的几年中，在展示质子陶瓷燃料电池（PCFC）方面取得了重要的进步。这样的燃料电池提供了在环境上可持续的和具有成本效益的发电的潜力。然而，基于其高电导率，它们的功率输出落后于预测。在这里，我们通过使用高活性阴极PrBa _0.5 Sr _0.5 Co _1.5 Fe _0.5 O _{5 +δ}（PBSCF）和化学稳定的电解质BaZr _0.4 Ce _0.4 Y _0.1 Yb _0.1 O _3来克服PCFC性能和稳定性方面的挑战（BZCYYb4411）。我们在电解质表面上沉积了一层薄薄的阴极材料致密的中间膜，以减轻接触电阻，这是通过PBSCF的质子渗透性实现的。所得燃料电池的峰值功率密度在500°C时超过500 mW cm ^-2，同时在CO ₂下还具有出色的长期稳定性。