- Project financed by the National Agency for Academic Exchange, no. BPN/BCH/2025/1/00043, Next-generation electrode materials driving advances in reversible solid oxide cells for sustainable energy generation and storage, 2026-2027.
- Project NCN 2025/57/N/ST11/01244, Nanofibrous materials with exsolved high entropy nanocatalysts as highly active and stable electrodes for symmetrical Solid Oxide Fuel Cells. National Science Center. 2025-2027, funding: 139 690 PLN.
- Project NCN 2025/57/N/ST5/04955, Efficient and stable nano-heterostructured electrodes with modified morphology for solid oxide fuel cells. National Science Center. 2025-2026, funding: 68 283 PLN.
- Research project financed by the Excellence Initiative program Research University at AGH University of Krakow, application number 8086, Development of new concepts in the design and production of nanostructured materials using the electrospinning technique, duration 05/02/2024 - 30/11/2025, budget 378 130 PLN, Principal investigator: Kun Zheng.
- Research project financed by the National Science Center (NCN) under the Sonata 17 competition No. NCN 2021/43/D/ST5/00824, Designing cation deficient double perovskites with in situ exsolution of nanocatalysts for boosting performance of symmetrical SOFCs, duration 2022 July 04 -2026 July 03, budget 590 840 PLN, Principal investigator: Kun Zheng.
- Research project financed by the Excellence Initiative program Research University at AGH University of Krakow, application number 6207, Highly active and stable nanofibrous electrodes for reversible solid oxide cells, duration: April 17, 2023 - April 16, 2025, budget 200 000 PLN, Principal investigator: Kun Zheng.
- IDUB D4 Project No. 12317, "Stable Electrode Materials with In-Situ Precipitation of Multicomponent Metal Nanocatalysts for Symmetric Solid Oxide Cells," University Mini-grants for Research by AGH Doctoral Students ¨C 6th Edition, 2025, budget: PLN 14,000. PhD Student: Jakub Lach.
- IDUB D4 Project No. 12197, "Efficient and Stable Nano-Heterostructured Electrodes for IT-SOFC Fuel Cells," University Mini-grants for Research by AGH Doctoral Students ¨C 6th Edition, 2025, budget: PLN 14,000. PhD Student: Michal Gogacz.
- Research project NCN 2011/03/N/ST5/04785, Carbon-deposition-resistant and sulfur-tolerant anode materials for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells fueled by syngas. National Science Center. 2012-2015, funding: 286 000 PLN, Principal investigator: Kun Zheng.
- Project NCN 2013/08/T/ST5/00100, Novel electrode materials for IT-SOFC fueled by syngas. National Science Center. 2012-2014, funding: 109 578 PLN, Principal investigator: Kun Zheng.
- Research project financed by the National Science Center NCN 2020/37/B/ST8/02097, New generation of copper compounds-based air electrodes for solid oxide fuel cells and high temperature electrolyzers", duration: 2021 - 2024, funding: 1 715 208 PLN, Participation in project
- Research R&D project of enterprises, NCBR 1/1.1.1/2021 Fast path contract number POIR.01.01.01-00-0022/21-00, The development and implementation of a highly efficient hydrogen generation system producing high purity hydrogen in a solid oxide electrolyser. duration: 2021- 2023. funding: 9 555 114 PLN, Participation in project
About National Science Center (NCN) Sonata 17 No. NCN 2021/43/D/ST5/00824 project:
Project name: Designing cation deficient double perovskites with in situ exsolution of nanocatalysts for boosting performance of symmetrical SOFCs
Duration: 2022 July 04 -2026 July 03,
Budget: 590 840 PLN,
Principal investigator: Kun Zheng
Abstract:
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Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) are among the most promising technologies for the production of electricity and heat from traditional and renewable energy sources. The symmetrical SOFCs (S-SOFC) with the same electrode, are very promising, due to reduced cell components, simplified manufacturing process and alleviated chemical stability problems, consequently decreasing production costs and ensuring a long-term stable operation.
S-SOFCs can also address carbon deposition and sulfur poisoning problems by simply reversing the gas flows (oxidizing the deposited product). In addition, S-SOFC facilitates a reversible operation between fuel cell and electrolysis mode. To be economically competitive, the commercial application of S-SOFCs and SOFCs will require lowering the temperature to a low temperature range (=600 °C) while still maintaining a high-power output. Therefore, new redox stable electrode materials with enhanced electrocatalytic properties are indispensable for boosting the performance of S-SOFCs.
The scientific aim of the proposal is to design novel redox stable electrode materials (Ln, Ba/Sr)2-a(Fe, M)2-x(NiCo)xO6-d (Ln = selected lanthanides; M = Mn, Ti, Cr, Mo, W) with the ability of in situ exsolution of nanocatalysts for significantly boosting the electrode performance of S-SOFCs. In this project, the following materials design strategy will be applied, allowing to obtain functional redox stable electrode materials with unique and required physicochemical and electrochemical properties:
The introduction of A-site deficiency will favor the improvement of the electrocatalytic properties of electrode materials with the formation of additional highly mobile oxygen vacancies.
A-site deficiency design with the presence of a controlled amount of Ni, Co cations at B-site shall facilitate the control of in situ growth of catalytically active nanoparticles decorated on the anode for boosting the electrochemical performance of S-SOFCs.
The in situ exsolved nanoparticles can be socketed to the parent oxide, enhancing the stability and hydrocarbon coking tolerance, making the S-SOFCs fueled by cheaper and available non-hydrogen fuels feasible. Moreover, the possible reversible exsolution/dissolution of nanoparticles can potentially resolve the particle agglomeration and coke formation during usage of non-hydrogen fuels.
The A-site cations design with substitution of Ba2+/Sr2+ by Ln3+ cations will allow the formation of double perovskite structure that favors fast oxygen ion transport.
The cheap and commonly available Fe with a variable oxidation state doped into the B-site together with M (M = Mn, Ti, Cr, Mo, W) cations will introduce good mixed ionic-electronic conductivity with ensuring high phase stability both in oxidizing and reducing conditions.
The scarcity of systematic studies of redox stable A-site deficient perovskites with the ability of in situ growth of nanocatalysts in terms of utilization of these materials as electrode materials for S-SOFCs makes the proposal especially of interest. In this project, fundamental challenges related to the determination and understanding of critical issues of electrode materials for S-SOFCs, based on the proposed A-site deficient double perovskites will be undertaken. The in situ exsolution/dissolution of socketed nanocatalysts mechanism and carbon deposition tolerance in S-SOFCs will be elaborated, and the reversible operation between fuel cell and electrolysis mode in S-SOFCs will be conducted for the studies of degradation mechanism of the electrode. The scientific methodology with an interdisciplinary approach characterized by the synergetic use of the solid state physiochemistry, electrochemistry and materials engineering will be done, especially including the high temperature XRD and Raman analysis, XPS, EIS method, SEM, EDS and TEM techniques. With the knowledge going to be acquired, it will be possible to establish general rules in the design of functional redox stable electrode materials with unique and required physicochemical and electrochemical properties, and as high-performance electrode materials in S-SOFCs for power generation and energy storage operation with enhanced operational parameters.
The successful accomplishment of the proposed project will have major impact on the development and commercial adoption step of S-SOFCs technology in power generation and energy storage, and generally, in clean and renewable power applications. The progress of solid state chemistry and physics in terms of understanding the in situ exsolution/dissolution of nanocatalysts in anode and cathode operation conditions and the relation between the physicochemical properties and the electrochemical properties of redox stable electrode materials will also be made. The implementation of this project will provide both a new fundamental understanding and an applied R&D approach with significant importance on new-generation fuel cell materials and technologies.
Project members: Jakub Lach, prof. Magdalena Ziabka, Dr Piotr Winiarz, Dr Katarzyna Walczak, prof. Wojciech Zajac, Dr Agnieszka Brzoza-Kos,
AWARDS:
- AGH Rector's Award for Scientific Research in 2022, highest/first degree, individual (Kun Zheng)
- AGH Rector's Award for Scientific Research in 2021, highest/first degree, individual (Kun Zheng)
- AGH Rector's Award for Scientific Research in 2020, highest/first degree, individual (Kun Zheng)
- Scholarship START for outstanding young scientists in Poland, Foundation for Polish Science, 2016 (Kun Zheng)
- Scholarship for outstanding young scientists in Poland, 2015-2018, Ministry of Science and Higher Education in Poland (Kun Zheng)
- The Best International PhD Student in Poland INTERSTUDENT 2013, Perspektywy Education Foundation (Kun Zheng)
- NAWA scholarship "STER - internationalization of doctoral schools" for the best doctoral students - gaining financing for internship in Japan, at Shibaura Institute of Technology in Tokyo, 2023 (Jakub Lach)
- Distinction presentation of the talk entitled "Research on the properties of new MIEC materials for SOFCs" during the 59. Hutnicza Konferencja Studenckich Kól Naukowych AGH,2022 (Jakub Lach)