{"id":3651,"date":"2026-03-19T12:03:56","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T11:03:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www-preprod.cnrs-imn.fr\/pac-hydrogen-fuel-cells-and-high-temperature-electrolysers\/"},"modified":"2026-04-01T12:11:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T10:11:17","slug":"pac-hydrogen-fuel-cells-and-high-temperature-electrolysers","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.cnrs-imn.fr\/en\/electrochemical-energy-storage-and-conversion\/pac-hydrogen-fuel-cells-and-high-temperature-electrolysers\/","title":{"rendered":"PAC – Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and High Temperature Electrolysers"},"content":{"rendered":"

1 – <\/strong>Advanced materials for solid oxide cells<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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Figure 1. SEM images of (Pr0.5Ba0.5)0.95Mn0.95Ni0.05O3-\u03b4, before and after reduction <\/em><\/p>\n

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Figure 2. (Pr0.5Ba0.5)0.95Mn0.95Ni0.05O3-\u03b4: (a) HRTEM highlighting two nanoparticles on the oxide support, (b) bright-\ufb01eld image, and (c-g) STEM-EDS <\/em>elemental mapping images.<\/em><\/p>\n

Improving efficiency and cell performance requires exploring new materials for electrodes and electrolytes and studying their transport properties (e-, O2-, H+). This research area is organized into three parts: <\/p>\n

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  • For the air electrode, we are studying new materials such as spinel type oxides.<\/li>\n
  • For the fuel electrode, we are studying the exsolution of metal nanoparticles from sub-stoichiometric perovskite or fluorite type materials.<\/li>\n
  • For electrolyte, we are characterizing finely proton ceramic conducting oxides and exploring materials with novel crystal structures. More generally, we are studying the links between structure and electrochemical properties. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Aware of the challenges to be faced in developing an environmentally friendly hydrogen sector, our aim is also to reduce the amount of critical or strategic elements entering the composition of the electrolyte or electrodes advanced materials.<\/p>\n

    Expertises:<\/strong> Material Characterization, X-ray and neutron Diffraction and structural refinement, Solid State Electrochemistry, Impedance Spectroscopy<\/p>\n

    Keywords:<\/strong> Powder synthesis, materials manufacturing, Cold sintering, metal exsolution, perovskite, solid oxide fuel cell, Electrochemical impedance Spectroscopy<\/p>\n

    Collaborations :<\/strong><\/p>\n

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    • International:<\/strong> Julian Dailly (EIFER), R\u00e9mi Costa (DLR)…<\/li>\n
    • France:<\/strong> Pr Anne-C\u00e9cile Roger, and Dr Spiros Zafeiratos, Institut de Chimie des proc\u00e9d\u00e9s pour l’Energie, l’Environnement et la Sant\u00e9 (ICPEES), Strasbourg, Pr Mona Bahout, Institut des Sciences Chimiques, Rennes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      IMN Personnel Involved:<\/strong> Cl\u00e9ment Nicollet, Eric Quarez, Olivier Joubert, Annie Le Gal La Salle<\/p>\n

      Key Publications:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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      • Dingkai Chen, Jinming Zhang, Mathias Barreau, Sylwia Turczyniak-Surdacka, Olivier Joubert, Annie Le Gal La Salle and Spyridon Zafeiratos, Ni-doped CeO2 nanoparticles to promote and restore the performance of Ni\/YSZ cathodes for CO2 electroreduction, Appl. Surf. Sci. 611, 2023, 155767<\/em><\/li>\n
      • P. Managutti, S. Tymen, X. Liu, O. Hernandez, C. Prestipino, A. Le Gal La Salle, S. Paul, L. Jalowiecki-duhamel, V. Dorcet, A. Billard, P. Briois and M. Bahout, Exsolution of Ni particles from A-site-deficient layered double perovskites for dry reforming of methane and as anode material for a solid oxide fuel cell , ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 13, 2021, 35719-35728 <\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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        2 – <\/strong>Influence of oxide surface acidity on O2 reduction<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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        Improving the kinetics of O2 reduction on oxide surfaces is critical in many energy and fuel conversion technologies. By changing the morphology of the samples, but also by infiltrating binary oxides from strongly basic (Li2O) to strongly acidic (SiO2) onto the surface of Pr0.1Ce0.9O2-\u03b4 samples, it is possible to vary drastically the reaction kinetics. Our aim is to use these properties to increase cells performance, but also increase their robustness towards pollutants and ageing. In order to be sure of our conclusions, we are also focusing on the accurate determination of the oxygen exchange reaction rates. <\/p>\n

        Expertises:<\/strong> Material Characterization, Solid State Electrochemistry, X-ray Diffraction, Impedance Spectroscopy<\/p>\n

        Keywords:<\/strong> Fuel Cells Oxygen Surface Exchange Kinetics, Electrochemical impedance Spectroscopy, Electrochemical Relaxation<\/p>\n

        Collaborations:<\/strong> Pr Harry Tuller, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. US, Juergen Fleig <\/p>\n

        France:<\/strong> Jacinthe Gamon (ICMCB)<\/p>\n

        IMN Personnel Involved:<\/strong> Cl\u00e9ment Nicollet, Olivier Joubert<\/p>\n

        Key publications:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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        • Alexandre Merieau, Matth\u00e4us Siebenhofer, Christin B\u00f6hme, Markus Kubicek, Olivier Joubert, Juergen Fleig and Clement Nicollet. Oxygen surface exchange kinetics of La1-xSrxCoO3-\u03b4 thin-films decorated with binary oxides: links between acidity, strontium doping, and reaction kinetics, J. Mater. Chem. A 12, 2024, 13960-13969 <\/em><\/li>\n
        • Clement Nicollet, Cl\u00e9ment Meyssonnier, Simon Guillonneau, Alexandre Merieau and Insaf Abdouli, A New Method to Measure Oxygen Surface Exchange Kinetics On Porous Mixed Conducting Oxides With Simple Determination of Microstructure Parameters, Small Methods 2024, 2400131<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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          3 – <\/strong>Shaping of ceramics for cell manufacturing<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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          SEM images are obtained on non-calcined samples directly sintered at 1400 \u00b0C for 10 h, cross-sectioned, polished, cleaned with ethanol, and with a thermally etched at 1350 \u00b0C for 3 h: a) BaZr 0.4Ce<\/sub> 0.4Y<\/sub> 0.1Yb<\/sub> 0.1O<\/sub> 3-\u03b4<\/sub> reference pellet, b) BaZr 0.4Ce<\/sub> 0.4Y<\/sub> 0.1Yb<\/sub> 0.1O<\/sub> 3-\u03b4<\/sub> + 0.5 wt% ZnO, c) BaZr 0.4Ce<\/sub> 0.4Y<\/sub> 0.05Yb<\/sub> 0.1Zn<\/sub> 0.05O<\/sub>3-\u03b4<\/sub>, d) BaZr 0.4Ce<\/sub> 0.4Y<\/sub> 0.075Yb<\/sub> 0.075Zn<\/sub> 0.05O<\/sub> 3-\u03b4<\/sub>, <\/em>highlighting the impact of doping and sintering strategies on porosity and grain morphology<\/em><\/p>\n

          Having promising materials is not a sufficient condition to be able to prepare efficient cells. The shaping of these materials to make cells can have significant impacts on the efficiency of systems. Our team focuses on different aspects of shaping materials for cell manufacturing: <\/p>\n