| 1. |
- Cai, Yixiao, 1986-
(author)
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Bio-Nano Interactions : Synthesis, Functionalization and Characterization of Biomaterial Interfaces
- 2016
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Current strategies for designing biomaterials involve creating materials and interfaces that interact with biomolecules, cells and tissues. This thesis aims to investigate several bioactive surfaces, such as nanocrystalline diamond (NCD), hydroxyapatite (HA) and single crystalline titanium dioxide, in terms of material synthesis, surface functionalization and characterization.Although cochlear implants (CIs) have been proven to be clinically successful, the efficiency of these implants still needs to be improved. A CI typically only has 12-20 electrodes while the ear has approximately 3400 inner hair cells. A type of micro-textured NCD surface that consists of micrometre-sized nail-head-shaped pillars was fabricated. Auditory neurons showed a strong affinity for the surface of the NCD pillars, and the technique could be used for neural guidance and to increase the number of stimulation points, leading to CIs with improved performance.Typical transparent ceramics are fabricated using pressure-assisted sintering techniques. However, the development of a simple energy-efficient production method remains a challenge. A simple approach to fabricating translucent nano-ceramics was developed by controlling the morphology of the starting ceramic particles. Translucent nano-ceramics, including HA and strontium substituted HA, could be produced via a simple filtration process followed by pressure-less sintering. Furthermore, the application of such materials as a window material was investigated. The results show that MC3T3 cells could be observed through the translucent HA ceramic for up to 7 days. The living fluorescent staining confirmed that the MC3T3 cells were visible throughout the culture period.Single crystalline rutile possesses in vitro bioactivity, and the crystalline direction affects HA formation. The HA growth on (001), (100) and (110) faces was investigated in a simulated body fluid in the presence of fibronectin (FN) via two different processes. The HA layers on each face were analysed using different characterization techniques, revealing that the interfacial energies could be altered by the pre-adsorbed FN, which influenced HA formation.In summary, micro textured NCD, and translucent HA and FN functionalized single crystalline rutile, and their interactions with cells and biomimetic HA were studied. The results showed that controlled surface properties are important for enhancing a material’s biological performance.
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| 2. |
- Cai, Yixiao, et al.
(author)
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Biomineralization on Single Crystalline Rutile : The Modulated Growth of Hydroxyapatite by Fibronectin in a Simulated Body Fluid
- 2016
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In: RSC Advances. - 2046-2069. ; 6, s. 35507-35516
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim of this study is to probe the complex interaction between surface bioactivity and protein adsorption on single crystalline rutile. Our previous studies have shown that single crystalline rutile possessed in vitro bioactivity and the crystalline faces affected the hydroxyapatite (HA) formation. However, upon implantation, a fast adsorption of proteins, from the biological fluids, is intermediated by a water layer towards the biomaterial interface. Thus the effect of protein on the bioactivity must be addressed. In this study, the HA growth dynamics on (001), (100) and (110) faces was investigated in a simulated body fluid with the presence of fibronectin (FN) by two different processes. The surface adhesion of each face before and after FN adsorption, as revealed by direct numerical values, was determined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) based peak force quantitative nanomechanical mapping (PF-QNM) for the first time. The findings suggest the surface energies of FN pre-adsorbed (001), (100) and (110) faces have been enhanced, leading to the subsequent accelerated HA formation. Furthermore, (001) and (100) faces were found to have larger coverage of HA crystals than (110) face at an early stage. In addition, various characterizations were performed to probe the chemical and crystal structures of as-grown biomimetic HA crystals, and in particular, the Ca/P ratio variations at different soaking time points.
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| 3. |
- Cai, Yixiao, et al.
(author)
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Strategy towards independent electrical stimulation from cochlear implants : Guided auditory neuron growth on topographically modified nanocrystalline diamond
- 2016
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In: Acta Biomaterialia. - : Elsevier BV. - 1742-7061 .- 1878-7568. ; 31, s. 211-220
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cochlear implants (CI) have been used for several decades to treat patients with profound hearing loss. Nevertheless, results vary between individuals, and fine hearing is generally poor due to the lack of discrete neural stimulation from the individual receptor hair cells. A major problem is the deliverance of independent stimulation signals to individual auditory neurons. Fine hearing requires significantly more stimulation contacts with intimate neuron/electrode interphases from ordered axonal re-growth, something current CI technology cannot provide.Here, we demonstrate the potential application of micro-textured nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) surfaces on CI electrode arrays. Such textured NCD surfaces consist of micrometer-sized nail-head-shaped pillars (size 5 5 lm2) made with sequences of micro/nano-fabrication processes, including sputtering, photolithography and plasma etching.The results show that human and murine inner-ear ganglion neurites and, potentially, neural progenitor cells can attach to patterned NCD surfaces without an extracellular matrix coating. Microscopic methods revealed adhesion and neural growth, specifically along the nail-head-shaped NCD pillars in an ordered manner, rather than in non-textured areas. This pattern was established when the inter-NCD pillar distance varied between 4 and 9 lm.The findings demonstrate that regenerating auditory neurons show a strong affinity to the NCD pillars, and the technique could be used for neural guidance and the creation of new neural networks. Together with the NCD’s unique anti-bacterial and electrical properties, patterned NCD surfaces could provide designed neural/electrode interfaces to create independent electrical stimulation signals in CI electrode arrays for the neural population.
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| 4. |
- Cai, Yixiao, et al.
(author)
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Utilization of Translucent Hydroxyapatite Nano-Ceramics as a Bio-Window Material
- 2016
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In: Nano Advances. ; 1, s. 45-49
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Bioceramic materials are importantlyused in the field ofhard tissue engineering. The direct detection of cell response is almost impossible for mostof bioceramics due to theiropaqueness. Thus,the live tracking of cell behavior cannot be performedon these ceramics. In this study, we proposea strategy thatdirect observation of cell growth through hydroxyapatite (HA)ceramics can be realized by employing a translucent hydroxyapatite (tHA) nano-ceramic. We obtained MC3T3 preosteoblast cells and cultured them in the presence of tHA for up to 7 days. The results show that MC3T3cells were able to be seen through the tHA. In addition, live fluorescent staining confirmed that the MC3T3 cells were viable throughout the culture time period. The findings reveal the as-fabricated tHA nano-ceramics can bepotentialas a bio-window material for cell adhesion and proliferation.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Lu, Yuzheng, et al.
(author)
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Progress in Electrolyte-Free Fuel Cells
- 2016
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In: FRONTIERS IN ENERGY RESEARCH. - : FRONTIERS MEDIA SA. - 2296-598X. ; 4
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) represents a clean electrochemical energy conversion technology with characteristics of high conversion efficiency and low emissions. It is one of the most important new energy technologies in the future. However, the manufacture of SOFCs based on the structure of anode/electrolyte/cathode is complicated and time-consuming. Thus, the cost for the entire fabrication and technology is too high to be affordable, and challenges still hinder commercialization. Recently, a novel type of electrolyte-free fuel cell (EFFC) with single component was invented, which could be the potential candidate for the next generation of advanced fuel cells. This paper briefly introduces the EFFC, working principle, performance, and advantages with updated research progress. A number of key R&D issues about EFFCs have been addressed, and future opportunities and challenges are discussed.
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| 7. |
- Malmstrom, Mikael, et al.
(author)
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Waveguides in polycrystalline diamond for mid-IR sensing
- 2016
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In: Optical Materials Express. - 2159-3930 .- 2159-3930. ; 6:4, s. 1286-1295
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- 8 mm long channel waveguides were manufactured in polycrystalline diamond with inductively coupled plasma etching and characterized in terms of mode-profile and propagation loss in the 1.5 - 3.4 mu m spectral region. As proof of principle, the waveguides were evaluated in an evanescent field sensing setup targeting the CH absorption peak of isopropanol at similar to 3.4 mu m, showing good agreement with numerical finite element simulations. (C) 2016 Optical Society of America
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| 8. |
- Wang, Baoyuan, et al.
(author)
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CoFeZrAl-oxide based composite for advanced solid oxide fuel cells
- 2016
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In: Electrochemistry communications. - : Elsevier BV. - 1388-2481 .- 1873-1902. ; 73, s. 15-19
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A novel CoFeZrAl-oxide (CFZA) consisted of FeAl2O4, Co3O4 and ZrO2 was prepared by an auto ignition process, displaying a typical morphology of nanorods. The corresponding fuel cell was constructed by using CFZA as the ion-conducting membrane, incorporated between two layers of Ni0.8Co0.15Al0.05Li-oxide pasted on nickel foam (Ni-NCAL), which was used as both electrodes and current collectors. The fuel cell presented an open circuit voltage of 1.07 V and maximum power density of 631 mW/cm(2) at 600 degrees C. The reduction of FeAl2O4 to oxygen-deficient FeAl2O4 (delta) under H-2 condition contributed to the ionic conduction, then the ionic conductor FeAl2O4 (-) (delta) composited with insulator ZrO2 to further enhance the ionic conductivity due to composite effect.
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| 9. |
- Wang, Baoyuan, et al.
(author)
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Photovoltaic properties of LixCo3-xO4/TiO2 heterojunction solar cells with high open-circuit voltage
- 2016
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In: Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells. - : Elsevier BV. - 0927-0248 .- 1879-3398. ; 157, s. 126-133
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- All-oxide solar cells are presently attracting extensive research interest due to their excellent stability, low-cost and non-toxicity. However, the band gap of metal oxides is lack of effective optimization and results in poor photovoltaic performance, thus hindering their practical applications. In this work, Co3O4 was investigated for application as a photo-absorber in all-oxide solar cells, and its band gap was optimized by introducing Li dopant into the spinel structure. LixCo3-xO4 nanoparticles, prepared via the hydrothermal method, were homogenously coated onto TiO2 mesoporous films, which were then used to fabricate planar heterojunction TiO2/LixCo3-xO4 solar cells (SCs). The effects of Li-doping on the heterojunction solar cell performance were further investigated. The findings revealed that the incorporation of Li ions into Co3O4 led to a significant enhancement in short-circuit current density (J(sc)). Remarkably, a high open-circuit voltage (V-oc) of 0.70 V was also achieved. Besides, reasons for the enhanced cell performance are the narrower band gap, reduced photogenerated carrier recombination and the more favorable energy band structure as compared with SCs assembled from pure Co3O4.
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| 10. |
- Wang, Baoyuan, et al.
(author)
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Preparation and characterization of Sm and Ca co-doped ceria-La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-delta semiconductor-ionic composites for electrolyte-layer-free fuel cells
- 2016
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In: Journal of Materials Chemistry A. - : Royal Society of Chemistry. - 2050-7488 .- 2050-7496. ; 4:40, s. 15426-15436
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A series of Sm and Ca co-doped ceria, i.e. Ca0.04Ce0.96-xSmxO2-delta (x = 0, 0.09, 0.16, and 0.24) (SCDC), were synthesized by a co-precipitation method. Detailed morphology, composition, crystal structure and electrochemical properties of the prepared materials were characterized. The results revealed that Sm and Ca co-doping could enhance the ionic conductivity in comparison with that of single Ca-doped samples. The composition as Ca0.04Ce0.80Sm0.16O2-delta exhibited a highest ionic conductivity of 0.039 S cm(-1) at 600 degrees C in comparison with the rest of the series, and the optimal ionic conductivity can be interpreted by the coupling effect of oxygen vacancies and mismatch between the dopant ionic radius and critical radius. Composite formation between the semiconductor La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-delta (LSCF) and the as-prepared SCDC contributed to a remarkable improvement in the ionic conductivity, an unexpectedly high ionic conductivity of 0.188 S cm(-1) was obtained for LSCF-SCDC composites at 600 degrees C, which was four times higher than that of pure SCDC. Using transmission electron microscopy and spectroscopy approaches, we detected an enrichment of oxygen in the LSCF-SCDC interface region and a depletion of oxygen vacancies in LSCF-SCDC and LSCF-LSCF grain boundaries was significantly mitigated, which resulted in the enhancement of ionic conductivity of semiconductor-ionic LSCF-SCDC composites. The electrolyte-layer-free fuel cell (EFFC) fabricated from the LSCF-SCDC semiconductor-ionic membrane demonstrated excellent performances, e.g. 814 mW cm(-2) at 550 degrees C for using the LSCF-Ca0.04Ce0.80Sm0.16O2-delta (SCDC2).
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| 11. |
- Wang, Guangjun, et al.
(author)
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Design, fabrication and characterization of a double layer solid oxide fuel cell (DLFC)
- 2016
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In: Journal of Power Sources. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-7753 .- 1873-2755. ; 332, s. 8-15
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A double layer solid oxide fuel cell (DLSOFC) without using the electrolyte (layer) has been designed by integrating advantages of positive electrode material of lithium ion battery(LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2) and oxygen-permeable membranes material (trace amount cobalt incorporated terbium doped ceria, TDC + Co) based on the semiconductor physics principle. Instead of using an electrolyte layer, the depletion layer between the anode and cathode served as an electronic insulator to block the electrons but to maintain the electrolyte function for ionic transport. Thus the device with two layers can realize the function of SOFC and at the same time avoids the electronic short circuiting problem. Such novel DLFC showed good performance at low temperatures, for instance, a maximum power density of 230 mWcm(-2) was achieved at 500 degrees C. The working principle of the new device is presented.
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| 12. |
- Xia, Chen, et al.
(author)
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Industrial-grade rare-earth and perovskite oxide for high-performance electrolyte layer-free fuel cell
- 2016
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In: Journal of Power Sources. - : Elsevier. - 0378-7753 .- 1873-2755. ; 307, s. 270-279
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In the present work, we report a composite of industrial-grade material LaCePr-oxide (LCP) and perovskite La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ (LSCF) for advanced electrolyte layer-free fuel cells (EFFCs). The microstructure, morphology, and electrical properties of the LCP, LSCF, and LCP-LSCF composite were investigated and characterized by XRD, SEM, EDS, TEM, and EIS. Various ratios of LCP to LSCF in the composite were modulated to achieve balanced ionic and electronic conductivities. Fuel cell with an optimum ratio of 60 wt% LCP to 40 wt% LSCF reached the highest open circuit voltage (OCV) at 1.01 V and a maximum power density of 745 mW cm-2 at 575°C, also displaying a good performance stability. The high performance is attributed to the interfacial mechanisms and electrode catalytic effects. The findings from the present study promote industrial-grade rare-earth oxide as a promising new material for innovative low temperature solid oxide fuel cell (LTSOFC) technology.
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| 13. |
- Xia, Chen, et al.
(author)
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Natural Mineral-Based Solid Oxide Fuel Cell with Heterogeneous Nanocomposite Derived from Hematite and Rare-Earth Minerals
- 2016
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In: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1944-8244 .- 1944-8252. ; 8:32, s. 20748-20755
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have attracted much attention worldwide because of their potential for providing clean and reliable electric power. However, their commercialization is subject to the high operating temperatures and costs. To make SOFCs more competitive, here we report a novel and attractive nanocomposite hematite LaCePrOx (hematite LCP) synthesized from low-cost natural hematite and LaCePr-carbonate mineral as an electrolyte candidate. This heterogeneous composite exhibits a conductivity as high as 0.116 S cm(-1) at 600 degrees C with an activation energy of 0.50 eV at 400-600 degrees C. For the first time, a fuel cell using such a natural mineral-based composite demonstrates a maximum power density of 625 mW cm(-2) at 600 degrees C and notable power output of 386 mW cm(-2) at 450 degrees C. The extraordinary ionic conductivity and device performances are primarily attributed to the heterophasic interfacial conduction effect of the hematite-LCP composite. These superior properties, along with the merits of ultralow cost, abundant storage, and eco-friendliness, make the new composite a highly promising material for commercial SOFCs.
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| 14. |
- Zhang, Wei, et al.
(author)
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Mixed ionic-electronic conductor membrane based fuel cells by incorporating semiconductor Ni0.8Co0.15Al0.05LiO2-delta into the Ce0.8Sm0.2O2-delta-Na2CO3 electrolyte
- 2016
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In: International journal of hydrogen energy. - : Elsevier BV. - 0360-3199 .- 1879-3487. ; 41:34, s. 15346-15353
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In the present study, a novel composite was fabricated by incorporating the semiconductor Ni0.8Co0.15Al0.05LiO2-delta (NCAL) into the ionic electrolyte Ce0.8Sm0.2O2-delta-Na2CO3 (NSDC), and further developed as a mixed-conducting membrane for single layer fuel cell (SLFC) applications. Experimentally, the crystal structure, morphology, chemical composition and thermo-stability of the composite were characterized by XRD, SEM and TGA. The best cell performance was investigated when the NSDC-NCAL membrane was optimized at a weight ratio of 6:4. On this basis, a number of interesting findings were obtained: i) the mixed conducting membrane did not cause any short circuit; on the contrary, the cell reached a decent open circuit voltage (OCV) of similar to 1.0 V. a high power density of 1072 mW cm(-2) was achieved at 550 degrees C for the NSDC-NCAL membrane based cell, which was much better than that using a pure NSDC electrolyte membrane. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) showed that the NSDC-NCAL composite exhibited significantly improved grain boundary conduction and reduced electrode polarizations, contributing to the resultant performance. To consolidate the usefulness of the device, we also conducted the durability test. The above findings indicate the strategy of introducing mixed NSDC-NCAL membrane is feasible for high-performance SLFCs operating at low temperatures.
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| 15. |
- Zhang, Wei, et al.
(author)
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The fuel cells studies from ionic electrolyte Ce0.8Sm0.05Ca0.15O2-delta to the mixture layers with semiconductor Ni0.8Co0.15Al0.05LiO2-delta
- 2016
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In: International journal of hydrogen energy. - : Elsevier BV. - 0360-3199 .- 1879-3487. ; 41:41, s. 18761-18768
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The mixture of ionic electrolyte Ce0.8Sm0.05Ca0.15O2-delta (SCDC) and semiconductor Ni0.8Co0.15Al0.05LiO2-delta (NCAL) layers was used for low temperature solid oxide fuel cell (LT-SOFC) applications. Using the as-prepared SCDC-NCAL semiconductor-ionic layer to replace the ionic SCDC electrolyte, following results have been obtained: the SCDC electrolyte fuel cell reached a lower voltage, 1.05 V, and lower power output, 415 mW cm(-2), compared to that using the semiconductor-ionic layer, 1.06 V and 617 mW cm(-2) at 550 degrees C. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was applied to investigate the electrochemical processes of the device; X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) for the microstructure and morphology of the as-prepared materials. The results have illuminated that the introduction of semiconductor into ionic electrolyte could make extended triple phase boundary (TPB) area, which can provide more active sites to accelerate the fuel cell reactions and enhance the cell performance. Furthermore, we also discovered that the ionic SCDC and electronic NCAL should be in an appropriate composition to achieve a balanced ionic and electronic conductivity, which is the key issue for high performance semiconductor-ionic fuel cells.
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