The present chapter is devoted to comparison of oxide-based anode
materials developed during the last 10-15 years, with a particular focus on relationships
between their functional characteristics, such as phase and structural stability,
electronic and ionic conductivity, thermal and chemical expansion, and the
electrochemical activity of the corresponding anodes. In most studies, the strategy of
selection of the anode material composition is unclear while no obvious correlations
can be revealed between the anode activity and other properties of the material. The
situation is complicated by the presence of catalytically active phases in the anode
layers, such as CeO2-based compounds or metallic phases (Pt, Ag, Ni, etc). The latter
are frequently introduced as current collecting coatings for optimizing the interface
contact between the anode and interconnect; however, their influence on the catalytic
activity cannot a priori be considered to be negligible. For this reason, the
electrochemical characteristics of different anode materials studied by the same
research group and, consequently, prepared and modified by the same route, frequently
appear to be similar. The purpose of this review is to critically discuss the results where
the origins of the observed anode performance are arguable, and to emphasize the
studies where a reliable analysis of the performance-determining factors has been done.
Keywords: Alternative Anode, Chemical Compatibility, Chemical Expansion,
Current Collector, Electrochemical Activity, Fuel Cell, Perovskite, Polarization
Resistance, Surface Modification, Thermal Expansion.
