Porosity-engineered anode supports for high-performance protonic ceramic fuel cells

Protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs) have emerged as highly promising candidates for efficient energy conversion. In particular, the anode microstructure plays a decisive role in governing gas transport and electrochemical kinetics, thereby dictating device performance. In this study, we systematically investigate the influence of anode porosity by introducing varying amounts (0–10 wt%) of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) as a pore-forming additive into the anode support layer. Electrochemical measurements reveal that enhanced porosity markedly lowers resistances, resulting in significant performance gains. Notably, the peak power density at 650 °C rises from 1.12 W cm^{− 2} without PMMA to 1.83 W cm^{− 2} at 10 wt% PMMA, corresponding to a 63% improvement. These results underscore the critical importance of rational porosity engineering in optimizing anode processes and provide practical insight for high-performance PCFCs.