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 SOFC generates clean energy through an electrochemical reaction between fuel (hydrogen, natural gas, or biogas) and air. Meanwhile, SOEC utilizes electricity to produce hydrogen or synthetic fuels through the electrolysis of water and/or CO2. SOCs typically work at high temperatures (700-1000 °C) and can attain exceptional electrochemical efficiencies—above 60% in fuel cell mode and even higher in electrolysis mode, the highest among electrochemical converters. Currently, SOC technology relies on a stacked-cell configuration with heavy metal interconnects and structural support frameworks. However, this configuration faces major challenges, including high production costs, complex manufacturing processes, limited design flexibility, mechanical weaknesses, and durability concerns. These barriers hinder their widespread adoption and limit their potential to replace conventional fossil-fuel-based systems on a large scale, especially for portable applications.

 With our proposed technology, we are developing a self-supporting monolithic SOC with a gyroid lattice structure fabricated using additive manufacturing (3D printing). This advanced approach provides unmatched design flexibility and precision, enabling the construction of highly customized and complex SOC architectures in a single step. The gyroid lattice is a mathematically defined structure from the Triply Periodic Minimal Surfaces (TPMS) family, offering an exceptionally high surface area—30–50% greater than that of conventional planar cells. This increased surface area enhances heat and mass transfer, gas diffusion, and electrical conductivity. The design maximizes space utilization while seamlessly integrating gas and electrical connectors in line with modularity principles. The result is an SOC with unmatched mechanical resilience, superior efficiency, and exceptional cost-effectiveness. We can achieve power densities ranging from 0.84 to 3.91 W/cm³ and 0.24 to 1.13 W/g, representing up to 10 times the volumetric power density and 8 times the specific power of conventional planar SOCs based on zirconia-electrolyte-supported cells. A single device could potentially deliver up to 100 W, opening the door to diverse applications—particularly in the aerospace sector—and accelerating the transition to a greener economy.

Currently, as part of my master’s thesis, I am undertaking several key tasks focused on designing, manufacturing, and testing Solid Oxide Cell (SOC) prototypes using state-of-the-art 8 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia (8YSZ) electrolytes. My work centers on upscaling the cell size to volumes of up to 20 cm³ and optimizing the printing parameters to ensure high structural integrity and reliable performance. I am testing the cells in fuel cell mode at operating temperatures of 800–900 °C, using commercial Ni-YSZ as the anode and LSM as the cathode, applied by an infiltration method. In addition, I am optimizing the electrode ink viscosity to improve infiltration quality and overall electrochemical performance. If you would like to have more details on the project or start collaborations, don’t hesitate to get in contact with me or Professor Vincenzo Esposito.

Matteo Cairoli, Technical University of Denmark

Email:  macai@dtu.dk

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/matteo-cairolirm

Professor Vincenzo Esposito, Technical University of Denmark

Email: vies@dtu.dk

A more detailed explanation is available at the following article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-025-01811-y