Interface modification of Ru-CeO2 co-infiltrated SFM electrode and construction of SDC/YSZ bilayer electrolyte for direct CO2 electrolysis

A novel electrolysis cell with SDC/YSZ bilayer electrolyte structure and Ru-CeO2 co-infiltrated SFM-SDC electrode has been fabricated by facile drop-coating method and vacuum infiltration process. The drop-coated YSZ thin film facilitates SDC electrolyte to be employed in direct CO2 electrolysis. The results of TPD analysis and AC impedance spectroscopy measurement indicate that the infiltration of Ru and CeO2 nanocatalysts of SFM-SDC electrode significantly enhance the chemical adsorption of CO2 and electrochemical performance of the electrode. With LSM-SDC as the anode, LSM-SDC/YSZ-SDC/Ru-CeO2-SFM-SDC single cell exhibits good coking-resistant and stability for CO2 reduction electrolysis, reaching a peak current density of 1.82 A·cm−2 under an applied voltage of 1.5 V. The combined strategy offers a promising approach to cell structure construction and interface modification for solid oxide electrolysis cells.