Promoting effective electrochemical oxidation of CO by Cu-doping for highly active hybrid direct carbon fuel cell anode

Hybrid direct carbon fuel cells (HDCFCs) present its inherent and unparalleled advantages in converting chemical energy from organic waste, biomass, and coal directly into clean energy with high efficiency. However, the progress of HDCFC technology continues to be hampered by the sluggish anode reaction kinetics. Herein, an effective design strategy for HDCFC anode is proposed, a Cu-modified Sr₂Fe_1.3Cu_0.2Mo_0.5O_6-δ (SFCM) perovskite oxide is developed to meet the requirements of intermediate-temperature HDCFC anode. The Cu-doping SFCM anode demonstrates excellent redox structural stability and catalytic activity. In addition, the electrolyte-supported single cell with Cu-doping SFCM anode has improved the peak power density from 285.5 mW cm⁻² to 489.3 mW cm⁻² at 800 °C with activated carbon as the fuel. The significantly enhanced anode catalytic activity is primarily due to the improved interfacial activity and chemical adsorption of CO. Therefore, the present work shows an effective strategy for designing and developing novel high-performance HDCFCs anode materials.