What is it about?
Semiconductors have been discovered in recent years with better ionic properties than those of ionic conductors. Using various ways can tune these semiconductors either to superionic conductors or directly use their high ionic conductivity in the energy device where electron and ionic conductivities can be separated for respective functions. In applications, heterostructure of semiconductor and ionic composites are more effective for practical uses with high ionic conductivity and power outputs in energy devices.
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Why is it important?
Scientists have looked for and developed ionic conductors, so called fast or superionic conductors hundred years based on ionic materials and structure designs, but challenge is maintained. For example, yttrium stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) over 100 years, no alternative ionic materials instead of YSZ, which hinders the SOFC commercialization. Some semiconductors can have higher ionic conductivity than those of the ionic materials, which have been successfully demonstrated to replace the conventional electrolytes for new advanced fuel cell technologies.
Perspectives
Semiconductor ionic properties can be developed for superionic conductors or used directly by their mixed electronic and ionic conductivities which can replace the conventional electrolytes in various energy devices, not only in fuel cells, also in solar cell, electrolysis and photoelectrolysis, batteries etc. energy storage and power generation devices.
Bin Zhu
Kungliga Tekniska Hogskolan
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Semiconductor-ionic materials could play an important role in advanced fuel-to-electricity conversion, International Journal of Energy Research, June 2018, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1002/er.4105.
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