Highly carbon– and sulfur–tolerant Sr2TiMoO6−δ double perovskite anode for solid oxide fuel cells

Ni-based cermets are most commonly used anode materials for solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), but poor stability operating on hydrocarbon fuels seriously hampers their commercialization due to carbon deposition and sulfur poisoning. Here, we report a carbon– and sulfur–tolerant double perovskite anode Sr 2 TiMoO 6−δ (STMO) combining the characteristics of two simple perovskites of SrTiO 3 and SrMoO 3 . The STMO anode exhibits excellent thermal and chemical compatibility with La 0.9 Sr 0.1 Ga 0.8 Mg 0.2 O 3–δ (LSGM) and Ce 0.8 Sm 0.2 O 1.9 (SDC) electrolytes in 5% H 2 /Ar. The single cell with STMO anode demonstrates good stability and excellent coking resistance and sulfur tolerance in H 2 S-containing syngas during a 60-h period. The maximum power density (P max ) values of a LSGM-electrolyte-supported single cell with STMO anode are 505 and 275 mW cm −2 at 850 °C in H 2 and H 2 S-containing syngas, respectively. The electrochemical performance is further improved by impregnation of Pd nanoparticles, where the P max values achieve 1009 and 586 mW cm −2 at 850 °C under the same conditions, respectively, showing great potential as an anode material for SOFCs operating on H 2 S-containing syngas. Our study provides a strategy to develop versatile double perovskite materials by combining the relevant characteristics of two separate perovskites.