In-Situ Exsolved Coferu Alloy Decorated Perovskite as an Anode Catalyst Layer for High-Performance Direct-Ammonia Protonic Ceramic Fuel Cells

Direct-ammonia proton ceramic fuel cell (DA-PCFC) is a promising clean energy technology because ammonia (NH3) is easier to store, transport, and handle than hydrogen. However, NH3 decomposition activity is unsatisfactory, and the anti-sintering resistance of conventional Ni-based ceramic anodes has limited the large-scale application of DA-PCFC technology. Herein, we develop Pr0.6Sr0.4(Co0.2Fe0.8)0.85Ru0.15O3-δ (PSCFR15), a novel anode catalyst layer (ACL) material. PSCFR15 is treated under a reducing atmosphere to form a composite with CoFeRu alloy nanoparticles. Density functional theory simulations reveal that Ru modification in the CoFe alloy optimizes ammonia adsorption and nitrogen desorption during catalysis, thereby boosting ammonia decomposition activity. As a result, DA-PCFC with PSCFR15 ACL can achieve superior peak power density compared to bare DA-PCFC operated with H2 and NH3 fuels. Furthermore, the ACL also reduces the direct contact between the Ni-based ceramic anode and the NH3 fuel, then suppressing Ni sintering, and enhancing the durability of the DA-PCFC.