Strontium segregation in a La _0.6 Sr _0.4 Co _0.2 Fe _0.8 O _3−δ (LSCF) electrode reacts with Cr and S in a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), which can cause cell performance deterioration.

Electrochemical performance and sulfur (SO ₂ ) tolerance were studied on pristine La _0.6 Sr _0.4 Co _0.2 Fe _0.8 O _{3− δ} (LSCF) and BaCeO ₃ -impregnated LSCF (BaCeO ₃ –LSCF) composite cathodes of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Compared to pristine LSCF electrodes, BaCeO ₃ –LSCF composite electrodes exhibited reduced electrode polarization resistance and significantly lower activation energy for the O ₂ reduction reaction, indicating that BaCeO ₂ impregnation is effective at promoting the electrocatalytic activity of LSCF electrodes at low temperatures. Most significantly, BaCeO ₃ –LSCF cathodes show remarkable tolerance and resistance towards sulfur via the formation of BaSO ₄ instead of SrSO ₄ on the electrode surface, preventing excess Sr deficiency at the A-site of LSCF perovskite and thus mitigating the sulfur poisoning effect. BaCeO ₃ –LSCF cathodes show potential as highly active and excellent anti-sulfur oxygen electrodes for SOFCs.

A catalyst obtained from the pyrolysis of a Co/Fe/Zn zeolitic imidazolite framework was prepared as ORR and OER electrocatalyst. A rechargeable Zn–air battery equipped with a Co–N–C-900 electrocatalyst shows power density of 275 mW cm⁻² and good cycling stability for 180 h.

Chromium deposition and poisoning of La ₂ NiO ₄ cathode of solid oxide fuel cell were studied. La ₂ NiO ₄ cathode showed stable performance in the presence of metallic interconnects. Comparing with the polarization resistance ( R _p ) of La ₂ NiO ₄ cathode in the absence of metallic interconnects, R _p did not change in the presence of metallic interconnect. After electrical conductivity relaxation method, La ₂ NiO ₄ with high surface oxygen diffusion coefficients working under Cr atmosphere improved the oxygen reduction kinetics and increased cathode O ₂ reduction reaction rates. No chromium deposition was observed on the La ₂ NiO ₄ cathode surface after polarization for 20 h at 800°C. The chemical compatibility of La ₂ NiO ₄ /Cr ₂ O ₃ and La ₂ NiO ₄ /Gd _0.1 Ce _0.9 O _1.95 (GDC) study indicates that La ₂ NiO ₄ did not react with Cr ₂ O ₃ and GDC under the operating temperature. The results indicate that La ₂ NiO ₄ cathode is a potential chromium-tolerant material of solid oxide fuel cell.

Metal–nitrogen–carbon materials (Fe–N/C) have been extensively studied as one of the most excellent electrocatalysts with good catalytic activities and cheap price towards the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The rational design of metal–organic framework (MOF) derived carbon materials with rapid mass transport ability and good stability is a great challenge to achieve. Herein, intensive research of Fe–N/C catalysts prepared from assembling MOFs with cheap iron phthalocyanine (FePc) for the ORR is innovatively carried out. A series of Fe–N/C nano-architectures are simply synthesized by a convenient assembling method under different temperatures (800 to 1000 °C). The assembly method at high temperatures tunes the number of FeN_x active sites and intensifies the exposure of interior active sites. The highly dispersing Fe20–N/C electrocatalyst treated at 900 °C exhibits remarkable stability and excellent ORR activities with a half-wave potential of 0.866 V (vs. RHE) in alkaline solution, which is higher than that of commercial Pt/C (0.838 V vs. RHE) under the same test conditions. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results illustrate that incorporated MOFs interact with the active centre of FePc, tend to enhance the electron transition and to promote the kinetics of the ORR. Overall, highly dispersed Fe–N/C MOF-based materials are excellent non-precious metal electrocatalysts for energy and environmental applications.