A1312 - Reversible Solid Oxide Cells with Mesoscale-Modified Interfaces: Performance Difference Between SOFC and SOEC Modes

Sep 10, 2026

Mesoscale electrode/electrolyte interface modification enhances SOFC performance, yet its impact in SOEC mode remains insufficiently understood. Because rSOCs exhibit pronounced FC/EC asymmetry, SOFC insights cannot be directly applied to SOEC operation. Microextrusion printing was used to fabricate a button-type rSOC with a mesoscale-modified interface (PTN), and electrochemical evaluation was conducted in both modes under varied operating conditions. PTN improved performance in both modes, with a larger benefit in SOEC, attributed to suppression of low-frequency fuel-electrode resistance growth.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

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Abstract

Introduction

Background and motivation

Mesoscale interface engineering

Knowledge gap and study objective

Scientific Approach

A1312 Reversible Solid Oxide Cells with Mesoscale-Modified Interfaces: Performance Difference Between SOFC and SOEC Modes Cheng Ding, Yuting Guo, Masashi Kishimoto, Hiroshi Iwai Department of Mechanical Engineering and Science, Kyoto University Kyoto/Japan Tel.: +81-75-383-3652 [ding.cheng.74a@st.kyoto-u.ac.jp](ding.cheng.74a@st.kyoto-u.ac.jp) Abstract Mesoscale electrode/electrolyte interface modification improves SOFC performance, but its effect in SOEC mode remains underexplored. Owing to the marked FC/EC asymmetry ofrSOCs, SOFC-mode insights cannot be directly transferred to SOEC operation. We employed a well-established microextrusion printing technique (Figure 1(a)) to fabricate a button-type rSOC with a mesoscale-modified interface (PTN, bottom in Figure 1(b)) using a conventional Ni–YSZ/YSZ/GDC/LSCF–GDC configuration, and conducted electrochemical evaluation in both modes under various operating conditions. Compared with the flatinterface reference (FLT, Figure 1(b), top), PTN improved performance in both modes across all tested operating conditions, with a larger effect in SOEC. This mitigates the typical mode-dependent asymmetry and enables more balanced operation, as evidenced by the |i|–η curves in Figure 1(c) . EIS analysis suggests that the mitigated asymmetry mainly arises from suppression of the increase in low-frequency fuel-electrode resistance in SOEC mode. This resistance is likely associated with surface processes near the TPB, including adsorption/desorption and surface diffusion of adsorbed species. PTN reduces the local current density at a given global cell current, thereby moderating local reactant consumption and product formation and maintaining a more favorable surface state, especially in EC. A numerical model that incorporates surface processes was developed to study the underlying mechanisms of asymmetry mitigation in PTN. Figure 1: (a) Schematic view of microextrusion printing; (b) cross-sectional image of tested cells (top: flat reference; bottom: meso-modified cell); (c) measured |i|–η curves. Note: This contribution is submitted to EFCF 2026 under the “Publish elsewhere”option. A peer-reviewed manuscript based on the experimental part of this work has been accepted for publication in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy entitled “Reversible solid oxide cells with microextrusion printed mesoscale electrode/electrolyte interfaces: Effects on mode-dependent performance.” EFCF 2026: 17th European SOFC & SOE Forum 30 June – 3 July 2026 , Lucerne Switzerland Introduction Large-scale use of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, requires efficient energy-storage technologies because their output is intermittent [1] . Reversible solid oxide cells (rSOCs) are promising for reversible Power-to-Gas/Gas-to-Power operation. In electrolysis-cell (EC) mode, they convert surplus electricity into chemical energy carriers, such as H2 or syngas, through H2O electrolysis or H2O/CO2 co-electrolysis [2] . In fuel-cell (FC) mode, they convert fuels back into electricity to cover demand spikes. This bidirectional operation makes rSOCs attractive for long-duration energy storage and renewable-energy integration. For practical deployment, however, rSOCs still require higher power density and lower operating temperature to reduce stack size, cost , and degradation [2] . Mesoscale modification at the electrode/electrolyte interface is an effective strategy for improving rSOC performance. Electrochemical reactions in porous rSOC electrodes mainly occur near triple-phase boundaries (TPBs) close to the electrode/electrolyte interface. Therefore, extending this interface can enlarge the effective reaction region , distribute the global current over a larger reaction area, and reduce local overpotential [3], [4], [5] . Several fabrication methods, including laser-assisted machining [6], sandblasting [4], micro-powder imprinting [7], and inkjet printing [8], have been em

FAQs

Why can’t SOFC-mode insights be directly transferred to SOEC operation in rSOCs?

rSOCs show strong FC/EC asymmetry, meaning the overpotential–current relationship in EC mode is not simply the reverse of FC mode.

What fabrication method was used to create the mesoscale-modified interface?

A well-established microextrusion printing technique was used to fabricate a button-type rSOC with a mesoscale-modified interface (PTN).

How does PTN affect performance differently in SOEC versus SOFC modes?

PTN improved performance in both modes across tested conditions, with a larger effect in SOEC, mitigating typical mode-dependent asymmetry.

Sep 10, 2026

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