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It has been discovered for the first time that the same silver (Ag) nanocatalyst operates at different reaction sites depending on whether the solid oxide cell is generating electricity or producing hydrogen. This finding introduces a new design principle for improving the performance of next-generation solid oxide cells.
A joint research team led by Professors WooChul Jung and Jeong Woo Han from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Seoul National University (SNU), in collaboration with Professor Sang Ouk Kim’s team at KAIST and Dr. Beomgyun Jeong’s team at the Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI), has elucidated the operating mechanism of silver nanocatalysts that enhance the performance of solid oxide cells. The team confirmed that the sites and mechanisms of oxygen reactions vary depending on the operating mode of the cell.
Solid oxide cells are next-generation energy devices that use the transport of oxygen ions to either generate electricity or split water to produce hydrogen. They are considered a key technology for expanding clean power generation and hydrogen utilization, as they can be applied to a wide range of systems—from distributed combined heat and power systems in buildings and factories that generate electricity while utilizing the high-temperature heat produced during operation to renewable energy–based green hydrogen production.
