Atomic Ni--Ru Solid Solution Enables Low-Temperature Reforming and Carbon Tolerance in Thin-Film Anodes for Syngas-Fueled SOFCs

Atomic Ni--Ru Solid Solution Enables Low-Temperature Reforming and Carbon Tolerance in Thin-Film Anodes for Syngas-Fueled SOFCs | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 7 December 2025 V1 Latest version Share on Atomic Ni--Ru Solid Solution Enables Low-Temperature Reforming and Carbon Tolerance in Thin-Film Anodes for Syngas-Fueled SOFCs Authors : Myung Seok Lee , Hyungjun Kim , Daniel Gil , Inyoung Jeong , Ji-Yoon Song , Wonjong Yu , and Suk Won Cha 0000-0002-4044-2079 [email protected] Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.176506933.31278087/v1 263 views 273 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Ni-based anodes in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) experience significant degradation when exposed to syngas, primarily due to carbon buildup and redox instability. These issues arise from slow reforming kinetics and limited oxygen exchange capacity. These limitations are linked to the electronic structure of Ni, restricting charge transfer to crucial adsorbates and hindering the activation of reforming pathways such as the water–gas shift and reverse Boudouard reactions. In this study, we present a Ni–Ru–gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC) thin-film anode created through triple-target magnetron sputtering, enabling precise atomic-level alloying and uniform metal–oxide integration. Notably, this enhancement was achieved with a Ru content below 4 at.%, demonstrating that ultra-low Ru incorporation can significantly modulate catalytic behavior. The resulting Ni–Ru solid solution demonstrates improved metal dispersion and a vertically oriented nanostructure. Compared to a Ni–GDC reference, the optimized anode reduces polarization resistance by 21.4%–38.1% and increases peak power density by 48.7%–55.9% at 650 °C, while maintaining a low degradation rate of 0.62% h-1 over 10 h of continuous syngas operation. Structural and electrochemical analyses confirm the prevention of Ni agglomeration and carbon accumulation. First-principles calculations reveal that the inclusion of Ru adjusts the local density of states near the Fermi level, enhancing charge transfer to CO adsorbates. This adjustment facilitates CO activation and supports the water–gas shift and reverse Boudouard reactions. These findings highlight the synergistic Ni–Ru electronic interaction as a key factor in enhancing anode stability, providing a scalable and Ru-efficient approach for achieving long-lasting, coke-resistant SOFC performance when operating with carbon-rich fuels. Supplementary Material File (manuscript_eem.docx) Download 10.81 MB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 07 December 2025 Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Keywords carbon coking resistance first-principles calculations ni-ru solid solution syngas-fueled sofc thin-film sofc Authors Affiliations Myung Seok Lee Seoul National University View all articles by this author Hyungjun Kim Seoul National University View all articles by this author Daniel Gil Seoul National University View all articles by this author Inyoung Jeong Seoul National University View all articles by this author Ji-Yoon Song Northwestern University View all articles by this author Wonjong Yu Kyung Hee University View all articles by this author Suk Won Cha 0000-0002-4044-2079 [email protected] Seoul National University View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 263 views 273 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Myung Seok Lee, Hyungjun Kim, Daniel Gil, et al. Atomic Ni--Ru Solid Solution Enables Low-Temperature Reforming and Carbon Tolerance in Thin-Film Anodes for Syngas-Fueled SOFCs. Authorea . 07 December 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.176506933.31278087/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . Format Please select one from the list RIS (ProCite, Reference Manager) EndNote BibTex Medlars RefWorks Direct import Tips for downloading citations document.getElementById('citMgrHelpLink').addEventListener('click', function() { popupHelp(this.href); return false; }); $(".js__slcInclude").on("change", function(e){ if ($(this).val() == 'refworks') $('#direct').prop("checked", false); $('#direct').prop("disabled", ($(this).val() == 'refworks')); }); View Options View options PDF View PDF Figures Tables Media Share Share Share article link Copy Link Copied! Copying failed. Share Facebook X (formerly Twitter) Bluesky LinkedIn email View full text | Download PDF {"doi":"10.22541/au.176506933.31278087/v1","type":"Article"} Now Reading: Share Figures Tables Close figure viewer Back to article Figure title goes here Change zoom level Go to figure location within the article Download figure Toggle share panel Toggle share panel Share Toggle information panel Toggle information panel Go to previous graphic Go to next graphic Go to previous table Go to next table All figures All tables View all material View all material xrefBack.goTo xrefBack.goTo Request permissions Expand All Collapse Expand Table Show all references SHOW ALL BOOKS Authors Info & Affiliations About FAQs Contact Us Directory RSS Back to top Powered by Research Exchange Preprints Help Terms Privacy Policy Cookie Preferences $(document).ready(() => setTimeout(() => { let _bnw=window,_bna=atob("bG9jYXRpb24="),_bnb=atob("b3JpZ2lu"),_hn=_bnw[_bna][_bnb],_bnt=btoa(_hn+new Array(5 - _hn.length % 4).join(" ")); $.get("/resource/lodash?t="+_bnt); },4000)); (function(){function c(){var b=a.contentDocument||a.contentWindow.document;if(b){var d=b.createElement('script');d.innerHTML="window.__CF$cv$params={r:'9febe11b2e9641e2',t:'MTc3OTI4NTc0OA=='};var a=document.createElement('script');a.src='/cdn-cgi/challenge-platform/scripts/jsd/main.js';document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(a);";b.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(d)}}if(document.body){var a=document.createElement('iframe');a.height=1;a.width=1;a.style.position='absolute';a.style.top=0;a.style.left=0;a.style.border='none';a.style.visibility='hidden';document.body.appendChild(a);if('loading'!==document.readyState)c();else if(window.addEventListener)document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded',c);else{var e=document.onreadystatechange||function(){};document.onreadystatechange=function(b){e(b);'loading'!==document.readyState&&(document.onreadystatechange=e,c())}}}})();