Nanoceramics - a new class of proton conductors for hydrogen fuel cells and electrolysers

A novel class of nanoceramics recently discovered exhibits apparent solid-state proton conduction at ambient and moderately elevated temperatures. In NaProCs we explore the fundamentals and utilisation of this transport for new classes of fuel cells and other devices for hydrogen, operating at temperatures attractive for transportation and mobile applications. This comes timely when fuel cell cars are making their way to commercialisation and hydrogen needs to be produced in a distributed manner from renewable sources. The project aims to determine the structures, charge carrying species, and hydration thermodynamics as well as transport mechanisms involved in the interfaces of the known nanoceramics. Then the understanding will be applied to improve the conductivity by designing novel materials, compositions, and morphologies. The project has gained greater understanding of how the protonic species transport on the inner surfaces of porous oxides, in the chemisorbed water layer as well as in the physisorbed, more free and liquid-like water layer. Results show that increased humidity and thickness of the water layer greatly increase the conductivity because of decreasing binding energy to the surface of both the water molecules and the mobile ions. Novel interactions of grain boundaries and charge carriers in the adsorbed water layer have been discovered within the project and are under publication. It is intended to demonstrate the materials used in laboratory-scale hydrogen fuel cells. Follow-up applications for EU funding have been submitted. The project educates a PhD candidate and supports collaborative master and international network collaborations.

A novel class of nanoceramics recently discovered exhibits true solid-state proton conduction at ambient and moderately elevated temperatures. The applicant at UiO has forwarded a model that explains and in fact predicts the presence and transport of prot ons in external and internal interfaces. This immediately lends itself to explore and improve this novel class of materials and thus develop a new class of fuel cells and other devices for hydrogen, operating at temperatures attractive for transportation and mobile applications. This comes timely when fuel cell cars are making their way to commercialisation and hydrogen needs to be produced in a distributed manner from renewable sources. The project aims to determine firmly the structures, species, and hy dration thermodynamics as well as proton transport mechanisms involved in the interfaces of the known nanoceramics. Then the understanding will be applied to improve the conductivity by designing novel materials, compositions, and morphologies. Finally, t he achievements will be demonstrated in laboratory-scale hydrogen fuel cells. If promising, follow-up applications and commercialisation with SMEs as well as alternative uses will be evaluated. The research will comprise electrochemical impedance spectros copy and thermal methods to determine transport parameters and thermodynamics. DFT simulations will be combined with spectroscopic techniques (solid-state NMR, Raman, XPS, a.o.) in the new UiO-SINTEF AnSpec Gemini centre for surface and interface proton c haracterisation. SINTEF will develop environment-friendly fabrication of the new nanoceramics. Thin film manufacturing techniques (e.g. PLD) will be applied for the demo fuel cells. The project educates a PhD candidate in materials science in a UiO-SINTEF collaborative effort, with exchange and interaction with leading groups in France, Germany, Japan, and USA.