Silver Nanocatalysts Reveal Dual Reaction Sites, Boosting Solid Oxide Cell Efficiency

Researchers discovered that silver nanocatalysts shift their active location depending on whether a solid oxide cell is generating electricity or producing hydrogen, offering a route to more efficient clean-energy devices.

Scientists from Seoul National University, KAIST and the Korea Basic Science Institute have shown that silver nanocatalysts alter their primary reaction site based on the mode of solid oxide cells. In electricity-generation mode, the interface between silver particles and the electrode drives oxygen reduction, whereas in electrolysis mode the particle surfaces dominate oxygen evolution. The team built a model electrode with precisely spaced nanoparticles, finding silver outperformed cobalt, palladium and platinum.

Synchrotron AP-XPS measurements combined with atomic-scale calculations revealed how the catalyst reshapes the electrode’s electronic structure to favor each reaction. Highlighted on the journal’s back cover, the work proposes designing catalysts that separately optimize surface and interface properties, potentially raising efficiency of distributed power systems and renewable-based green hydrogen production. The research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea.