Co-generation of electricity and olefin via proton conducting fuel cells using (Pr_0.3Sr_0.7)_0.9Ni_0.1Ti_0.9O₃ catalyst layers

As one of the most important feedstocks, light olefins such as propylene and ethylene have drawn worldwide attention. In this work, co-generation of propylene and ethylene with electricity is successfully demonstrated in a propane fueled proton conducting solid oxide fuel cell (P-SOFC) using a novel (Pr_0.3Sr_0.7)_0.9Ni_0.1Ti_0.9O₃ (PSNT) catalytic layer, which is applied to preprocess propane fuel. Highly dispersive nickel nano-particles are in-situ exsolved from the reduced PSNT catalytic layer, which greatly improve propane conversion rate, and thus depress the anode carbon deposition. Importantly, conversion selectivities to propylene and ethylene increase with the current densities, reaching 36 % and 32 %, respectively, at 300 mA cm⁻² and 700 °C. This phenomenon indicates that the intrinsic dehydrogenation reactions in anode of P-SOFC benefit light olefins synthesis. Our work demonstrates promising feasibility to co-generate light olefins and electrical power via P-SOFCs, which may shed some new lights on the application of P-SOFCs.