as a promising proton conductor paints a bright future for protonic ceramic fuel cells, report scientists from Tokyo Tech. Experiments show that this novel material has a remarkably high proton conductivity even without any additional chemical modifications, and molecular dynamics simulations reveal the underlying reasons. These new insights may pave the way to safer and more efficient energy technologies.
When talking about sustainability, the ways in which a society generates energy are some of the most important factors to consider. Eager to eventually replace traditional energy sources such as coal and oil, scientists across the world are trying to develop environmentally friendly technologies that produce energy safely and more efficiently.
However, typical fuel cells based on solid oxides have a notable drawback in that they operate at high temperatures, usually over 700°C. That is why many scientists have focused on protonic ceramic fuel cells instead. These cells use special ceramics that conduct protons instead of oxide anions . Thanks to a much lower operating temperature in the range of 300 to 600°C, PCFCs can ensure a stable energy supply at a lower cost, compared to most other fuel cells.
To address this challenge, a team of researchers, including Professor Masatomo Yashima from Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan, has been on the lookout for good proton conductor candidates for PCFCs. In their latest study, published in