Probing the proton exchange kinetics of BaZr_0.1Ce_0.7Y_0.1Yb_0.1O_3−δ ceramic electrolyte by operando diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy

Proton exchange kinetics plays an important role in governing the performance of intermediate-temperature protonic ceramic electrolysis cells (PCECs) for hydrogen production. Our understanding of the nature of the surface hydration reaction at the single-cell level, however, remains very limited, hampering further efficiency improvements. Here, we developed a custom operando diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) platform that operates under high temperature and steam conditions with applied bias. Quantitative investigations of surface H₂O/D₂O isotope exchange in a BaZr_0.1Ce_0.7Y_0.1Yb_0.1O_3−δ (BZCYYb1711) protonic electrolyte-based single cell were conducted under different applied voltages using this DRIFTS platform, to gain molecular-level insight into hydration kinetics. The findings show that the application of an external voltage significantly enhances the surface proton exchange rate, decreasing the apparent activation energy from 29.1 kJ mol⁻¹ at open-circuit voltage (OCV) to 6.8 kJ mol⁻¹ at 1.3 V. In addition, distinct voltage-induced spectral shifts in O–D vibrations point to dynamic changes in surface hydration. These findings demonstrate a sensitive spectroscopic platform for probing interfacial proton processes and reveal strong electrochemical control over surface proton kinetics, offering new opportunities for probing electrolyte hydration behavior in PCECs.