Conversion of Hydrocarbons in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Recently, a number of papers about direct oxidation of methane and hydrocarbon in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) at relatively low temperatures (about 700°C) have been published. Even though the conversion of almost dry CH4 at 1000°C on ceramic anodes was demonstrated more than 10 years ago, the reports about high-current densities for methane oxidation at such low temperatures are indeed surprising. Several papers indicate that a catalytic effect (due to the mixed ionic and electronic conductivity) of CeO2-x is partially responsible for this effect. However, this seems to contradict previous reports, and thus this issue deserves further analysis.