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Zhuang et al. Energy Mater. 2025, 5, 500015 https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/energymater.2024.90 Page 11 of 14

Figure 7. Structure of microtubular PCFCs. (A) Physical drawing of the microtubular PCFC; (B) the SEM cross-sectional image of the
cell consisting of Ni-BZCYG4411 anode support| Ni-BZCYYb1711 functional layer|BZCYYb1711 electrolyte|cathode; (C) The electrolyte
surface; (D) Typical cross-sectional SEM image of the microtubular PCFC with BSNCF; (E) The Ni-BZCYG4411 anode support after the
stability test; (F) Morphology of PBSCF cathode.

Morphology of microtubular PCFC
Figure 7A shows the overall physical picture of the microtubular PCFC. The structure of PCFCs plays a
crucial role in their performance and stability. As shown in Figure 7B, the three layers of the porous anode,
electrolyte, and cathode remained intact and well-bonded. Figure 7C shows the surface of the electrolyte,
displaying a desirable dense structure. Figure 7D shows the cross-sectional image of the microtubular PCFC
with the Ni-BZCYG4411|Ni-BZCYYb1711|BZCYYb1711|BSNCF configuration after the stability test. The
cell exhibits excellent structural integrity, and the dense BZCYYb1711 electrolyte effectively prevents gas
leakage. The Ni-BZCYG4411 anode support is illustrated in Figure 7E, showing a uniform distribution of Ni
and BZCYG4411 particles after the durability test. Finally, Figure 7F shows the morphology of BSNCF
cathodes with porous structure. The large particle size might be due to high-temperature sintering during
the synthesis process of SSR.

CONCLUSIONS
In this work, a novel anode-supported microtubular PCFC with a tube diameter of less than 5 mm was
successfully fabricated using extrusion technology combined with dip-coating process. The microtubular
PCFC exhibited good mechanical strength during testing. The newly developed BZCYG4411 proton-
conducting electrolyte was synthesized using a novel one-step SSR method, showing comparable electrical
conductivity with BZCYYb4411 and BZCYYb1711 electrolytes, along with excellent chemical stability in
H O and CO atmospheres. The phase structure was confirmed through XRD and TEM characterization. In
2
2
addition, the single cell with BSNCF cathodes exhibited an excellent PPD of 906.86 mW cm at 700 °C with
-2
a low R of 0.07 Ω cm . Furthermore, the single cell with BSNCF cathode showed a decay rate of 3.6% after
-2
p
103 h test at 650 °C. Overall, the microtubular PCFCs prepared using the extrusion technology achieved
excellent electrochemical performance and stable operation. This work provides a highly efficient and
simplified technology for fabricating high-performance and durable anode-supported microtubular PCFCs,
with promising potential for practical applications.