Electrochemical device

Abstract

Herein discussed is a device comprising an anode, a cathode, an electrolyte in contact with the anode and the cathode, and an interconnect, wherein the anode and the cathode are short circuited via electronic communication through the interconnect. In an embodiment, the anode and the cathode are separated by the electrolyte and the interconnect.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device comprising an anode, a cathode, an electrolyte in contact with the anode and the cathode, and an interconnect, wherein the anode and the cathode are short circuited via electronic communication through the interconnect. 
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the anode and the cathode are separated by the electrolyte and the interconnect. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the cathode comprises Ni or NiO and a material selected from the group consisting of YSZ, CGO, SDC, SSZ, SCZ, LSGM, CoCGO, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the anode and the cathode have the same elements. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the anode and the cathode comprise Ni-YSZ or LaSrFeCr-SSZ or LaSrFeCr-SCZ or LST(lanthanum-doped strontium titanate)-SCZ. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises Ni or NiO and a material selected from the group consisting of YSZ, CGO, SDC, SSZ, SCZ, LSGM, CoCGO, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises doped or undoped ceria and a material selected from the group consisting of Cu, CuO, CuzO, Ag, Ag 2 O, Au, Au 2 O, Au 2 O 3 , Pt, Pd, Ru, Rh, Ir, LaCaCr, LaSrCrFe, YSZ, CGO, SDC, SSZ, LSGM, stainless steel, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte comprises an electronically conducting phase and an ionically conducting phase; wherein the electronically conducting phase comprises doped lanthanum chromite or LST or an electronically conductive metal or combination thereof; and wherein the ionically conducting phase comprises a material selected from the group consisting of gadolinium or samarium doped ceria, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), lanthanum strontium gallate magnesite (LSGM), scandia-stabilized zirconia (SSZ), Sc and Ce doped zirconia (SCZ), and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte comprises CoCGO or LST-stabilized zirconia. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the stabilized zirconia comprises YSZ or SSZ or SCZ (scandia-ceria-stabilized zirconia), and wherein the LST comprises LaSrCaTiO 3 . 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte comprises Nickel, Copper, Cobalt, or Niobium-doped zirconia. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte, the anode, and the cathode have the same elements. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the electrolyte, the anode, and the cathode comprise Ni-YSZ or LaSrFeCr-SSZ or LaSrFeCr-SCZ or LST-SCZ. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the anode and the cathode are both exposed to reducing environments during the entire time of operation. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 1  comprising a substrate, wherein the substrate is inert or wherein the substrate has the same elements as the electrode that the substrate is in contact with. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 1  producing no electricity and receiving no electricity. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the cathode is configured to simultaneously reduce water and carbon dioxide to hydrogen and carbon monoxide electrochemically. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein electrical resistance between the anode and cathode is no greater than ionic resistance between the anode and cathode for oxide ions. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the anode and the cathode each have a thickness of no greater than 100 microns. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein no portion of the electrolyte is greater than 10 cm in distance from at least a portion of the interconnect, wherein the distance is measured along the electronic or ionic pathway from the electrolyte to the interconnect. 
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 1  comprising multiple interconnects and multiple electrolytes. 
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein no portion of an electrolyte is greater than 10 cm in distance from at least a portion of an interconnect, wherein the distance is measured along the electronic or ionic pathway from the electrolyte to the interconnect.