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Solid oxide cells (SOCs) can operate efficiently in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and/or solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) modes, and are one of the most promising electrochemical devices for energy conversion and storage, facilitating the integration of renewable energies with the electric grid. However, the SOC electrodes suffer performance and stability issues, especially in the case of fuel electrodes when SOCs are fueled by cheaper and more available fuels such as methane and natural gas. Typical Ni-YSZ cermet fuel electrodes suffer problems of coarsening, carbon deposition, and sulfur poisoning. Therefore, developing new electrodes using novel design strategies for SOCs is crucial. In this review work, the fuel electrode development strategies including the in situ exsolution of nanoparticles, multi-elemental nanocatalysts, and nanofiber materials have been reviewed and summarized for the design of new electrodes for SOCs. Nanofiber electrodes with in situ exsolved nanoparticles, which combine the advantages of a unique nanofiber microstructure and stable and active exsolved nanoparticles, are of great interest and significantly contribute to the development of high-performance fuel electrodes for SOCs. Full article

In the pursuit towards attaining sustainability, arrays of greener pathways are being carved to address the needs of the diverse chemical universe. The evolving area of green and sustainable chemistry envisions minimum hazard as the performance criterion while designing new chemical processes. Green Chemistry is defined as "the utilization of a set of principles that reduces or eliminates the use or generation of hazardous substances in the design, manufacture, and application of chemical products" [1]. Sustainable processes are being sought to explore alternatives to conventional chemical syntheses and transformations. Among several thrust areas for achieving this target includes: the utility of alternative feedstocks, preferably from renewable materials or waste from other industries; unconventional efficient reaction conditions and eco-friendly reaction media to accomplish the desired chemical transformations with minimized by-products or waste generation, and ideally avoiding the use of conventional volatile organic solvents, wherever possible. Other avenues for achieving this objective are to explore the generation of efficient catalytic processes, particularly magnetically retrievable nano-catalysts [1,2,3,4]. In addition to greener synthesis, the recyclability and reuse aspects for catalytic systems are extremely significant particularly when it boils down to the use of endangered elements and precious catalysts. Several friendlier applications in catalysis have been advanced via magnetically recoverable and recyclable nano-catalysts for oxidation, reduction, and multi-component condensation reactions [1,2,3,4] and this has made a terrific impact on the development of green chemical pathways [1]. The greener preparation of nanoparticles has been exemplified via the use of vitamins B1, B2, C, and tea [5] and wine polyphenols [6], beet juice [7] and other agricultural residues which function both as reducing and capping agents. This avoids the need to deploy toxic reducing agents, such as borohydrides or hydrazines and empowers simple and aqueous green synthetic methods to produce bulk quantities of nano-catalysts without the requirement for large amounts of insoluble templates [8]. [...] Full article