A nano-precursor synthesis route reduces manufacturing time and cost while improving the performance of protonic ceramic electrochemical cells

Optimising performance and cost (Courtesy: iStock/Weerapatkiatdumrong)

Protonic ceramic electrochemical cells (PCECs) function as fuel cells, converting hydrogen into electricity, or as electrolysers, where electricity is used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. This makes them useful in hydrogen energy systems because surplus electricity from integrated energy sources like nuclear, hydropower and geothermal can be converted into hydrogen, stored, and later converted back into electricity. Inside PCECs, two electrodes are separated by a ceramic electrolyte that controls the movement of hydrogen ions, which are protons.

Unfortunately, manufacturing the proton-conducting ceramic electrolyte layer is cumbersome.…