Development of nickel based cermet anode materials in solid oxide fuel cells – Now and future

High temperature solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is the most efficient and clean energy conversion technology to electrochemically convert the chemical energy of fuels such as hydrogen, natural gas and hydrocarbons to electricity, and also the most viable alternative to the traditional thermal power plants. However, the power output of a SOFC critically depends on the characteristics and performance of its key components: anode, electrolyte and cathode. Due to the highly reducing environment and strict requirements in electrical conductivity and catalytic activity, there are limited choices in the anode materials of SOFCs, particularly for operation in the intermediate temperature range of 500–800 ​°C. Among them, Ni-based cermets are the most common and popular anode materials of SOFCs. The objective of this paper is to review the development of Ni-based anode materials in SOFC from the viewpoints of materials microstructure, performance and industrial scalability associated with the fabrication and optimization processes. The latest advancement in nano-structure architecture, contaminant tolerance and interface optimization of Ni-based cermet anodes is presented. And at the end of this paper, we propose and appeal for the collaborative work of scientists from different disciplines that enable the inter-fusion research of fabrication, microanalysis and modelling, aiming at the challenges in the development of Ni-based cermet anodes for commercially viable intermediate temperature SOFC or IT-SOFC technologies.