Fabrication of Asymmetric Fe–Cr Alloy-Supported Solid Oxide Fuel Cells by a One-Step Cosintering Process with Defect Management

This study addresses key challenges in one-step cosintering fabrication of asymmetric Fe–Cr alloy-supported solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), focusing on the link between processing limitations and the lower performance of this cell type relative to other metal-supported SOFCs. Cells fabricated via one-step cosintering under ultralow PO2 exhibit good electrolyte integrity with an open-circuit voltage of 1.16 V and good performance during short-term testing. The resulting peak power densities of 224 and 568 mW cm–2 are consistent with values reported for sintered asymmetric Fe–Cr supported SOFCs, thereby validating the viability of the one-step approach. Critical analysis of the structure–performance relationship identifies the relatively thick electrolyte and the absence of an optimized anode functional layer as the primary constraints on the electrochemical output. By establishing a processing and performance baseline, this work demonstrates effective defect control and identifies optimization strategies, including anode and cathode engineering, to overcome current performance bottlenecks.