Proton conductivity of CeP2O7 for intermediate temperature fuel cells

A single phase new proton conductive electrolyte of CeP2O7 was synthesized. The electrical conductivity was measured in the temperature range of 50–250 °C under different atmospheres, and the conductivity of CeP2O7 increased with the increasing of temperature and kept above 10− 2 S/cm in the temperature range of 150–250 °C. Proton transport numbers of this material under various conditions were estimated based on the ratio of the electromotive force to the theoretical value. And the mechanism of proton conductivity under various conditions was also discussed. A single H2/O2 fuel cell with CeP2O7 as electrolyte membrane exhibited a reasonable power density of 25 mW/cm2 at 200 °C, showing potential applications.