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A Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) team has improved protonic ceramic electrochemical cells (PCECs) by fixing a microscopic problem where the porous electrode and dense electrolyte do not fully touch. Using a thin interlayer made with precursor-based electrostatic spray deposition, the researchers increased physical contact coverage to 92.6 ± 0.6%. In tests reported by the Nature Communications research team in 2026, the cells reached 1.01 W/cm² in fuel-cell operation at 500 °C and 1.15 A/cm² during electrolysis at 1.3 V and 500 °C.
What SKKU changed in the hydrogen cell
A PCEC has a dense proton-conducting ceramic electrolyte between porous electrodes. The same cell can work in two directions: in fuel-cell mode, hydrogen is converted into electricity; in electrolysis mode, electricity drives the production of hydrogen.
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The SKKU approach targets the boundary between those layers. Conventional fabrication can leave microscopic gaps between the dense electrolyte and porous electrode. Those gaps reduce the real area available for charge transfer and electrochemical reactions, creating interfacial contact resistance even when the bulk materials themselves perform well.
The team deposited a thin, dense nanointerlayer over the electrolyte using precursor-based electrostatic spray deposition. The coating fills and smooths the interface so more of the electrode and electrolyte surfaces physically meet. SKKU describes the process as low-cost, scalable and suitable for large-area substrates.
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Why contact coverage matters
Contact coverage is the proportion of the two surfaces that are actually touching. The Nature Communications study measured coverage of 92.6 ± 0.6%. Higher coverage gives protons, electrons and reacting gases more continuous routes across the interface.
Equivalent-circuit impedance modeling showed that the improved interface reduced both interfacial ohmic resistance and polarization resistance. In practical terms, less of the supplied energy is lost at the boundary, so the cell can deliver more power as a fuel cell or pass more current while making hydrogen as an electrolyzer.
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Measured performance at 500 °C
| Operating mode | Reported result | Conditions | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel cell | 1.01 W/cm² peak power density | 500 °C | Electricity generated from hydrogen |
| Electrolyzer | 1.15 A/cm² current density | 1.3 V and 500 °C | Hydrogen production driven by electricity |
| Interface | 92.6 ± 0.6% contact coverage | Measured by the 2026 Nature Communications team | Physical contact between electrode and electrolyte |
Power density and current density describe different operating directions, so they should not be treated as interchangeable efficiency percentages. The reported values are laboratory results for the specific PCEC design and test conditions, not a guarantee for every ceramic cell or a complete system-level efficiency figure.
Durability under thermal cycling
Interfaces are a common mechanical weak point because ceramic layers expand and contract differently when temperature changes. SKKU reports that the nanocoating improved interfacial mechanical integrity and resistance to delamination during harsh thermal cycling. The Nature Communications work also reports long-term operational stability.
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That finding matters for reversible systems, which may repeatedly switch between electricity generation and hydrogen production. A coating that raises initial performance but peels away during cycling would not solve the engineering problem; the reported improvement addresses both contact and adhesion.
Ammonia and methane operation
The team reports direct fueling with ammonia and methane, alongside hydrogen, with stable performance observed using those fuels. This suggests the cell can be paired with fuel-processing pathways that convert or internally use hydrogen-bearing molecules rather than depending only on a pure hydrogen supply.
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The result does not mean that ammonia or methane are emission-free fuels, nor does it establish identical output, lifetime or system efficiency for each fuel. Fuel composition, reforming chemistry and balance-of-plant equipment will affect real installations.
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An SKKU-linked ACS Nano study reported a different solid-oxide electrochemical-cell experiment. It used an approximately 50 nm La0.6Sr0.4CoO3 nanocoating and reached 1.46 W/cm² in fuel-cell mode and 1.78 A/cm² at 1.3 V in electrolysis mode at 700 °C. That work also reported sequential 100-hour operation at 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 A/cm².
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Those figures should not be combined with the 500 °C PCEC results above. They come from a related but different study, cell configuration and temperature.
How the interface process works
- Prepare the ceramic cell: a dense electrolyte is paired with a porous electrode.
- Apply the precursor: electrostatic spray deposition directs precursor material onto the electrolyte surface.
- Form the interlayer: processing creates a thin, dense coating that conforms to the interface.
- Increase real contact: the electrode can touch more of the electrolyte instead of bridging microscopic gaps.
- Operate and monitor: lower interfacial resistance supports fuel-cell power and electrolysis current while stronger bonding helps withstand thermal cycling.
What this means for manufacturing
Uniform fabrication on large-area substrates was demonstrated, according to SKKU. That is important because a high-performing small cell is not automatically manufacturable at the area needed for a stack or plant. Electrostatic spray deposition is presented as a scalable precision process, but the available reports do not document a commercial product, deployed plant, licensing agreement or retail component.
Potential applications named by the researchers include large-scale clean-energy plants, hydrogen-powered vehicles and energy-storage systems. These remain research-stage prospects. Stack integration, sealing, thermal management, fuel handling, manufacturing yield and system economics still have to be validated outside the reported cell tests.
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How to interpret the advance
- Efficiency mechanism: more physical contact lowers interfacial ohmic and polarization losses.
- Reversible operation: one PCEC platform can generate electricity from hydrogen or produce hydrogen from electricity.
- Durability: improved adhesion is intended to limit delamination during thermal cycling.
- Fuel flexibility: ammonia and methane were tested as direct fuels, with stable performance reported.
- Scale: large-area coating uniformity was demonstrated, but commercialization has not been established.
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