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Developing high ionic conducting electrolytes is crucial for applying proton-conducting fuel cell (PCFCs) practically. The current study investigates the effect of alumina on the structural, morphological, electrical, and electrochemical properties of CeO2. Lattice oxygen vacancies are induced in CeO2 by a general doping concept that enables fast ionic conduction at low-temperature ranges (300–500°C) for PCFCs. Rietveld refinement of the X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns established the pure cubic fluorite structure of Al-doped CeO2 (ADC) samples and confirmed Al ions' fruitful integration in the CeO2 lattice. The electronic structure of the alumina-doped ceria of the materials (10ADC, 20ADC, and 30ADC) has been investigated. As a result, it was found that the best composition of 30ADC-based electrolytes induced maximum lattice oxygen vacancies. The corresponding PCFC exhibited a maximum power output of 923 mW/cm2 at 500°C. Moreover, the investigation proves the proton-conducting ability of alumina-doped ceria-based fuel cells by using an oxide ion-blocking layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Central Asia and South Asia have become pivotal in the contemporary global politics. The closing of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century have developed complex political conditions in the region due to changed geo-political circumstances which has involved South Asia and Central Asia as well. The object of the paper is to analyze that the’ Glocalization of politics’ in South Asia and Central Asia focuses on the concept of thinking global and acting local. It my overcome a complex of geopolitical, logistical, and economic factors which are a barrier in inter-regional connectivity and to transport the natural resources of Central Asian states to the global market in order to meet the world’s growing energy demands. Though Central Asia has abundant of natural resources, yet its geopolitical conditions have made it difficult for transporting and marketing them to the world economic market. The main problem that foreign investors are facing in the Central Asia is that how to transport the energy reservoirs from these landlocked states to the world market. The transportation route is of great geopolitical significance. The regional and global actors are in pursuit of their own national interests and to get politico-economic benefits from these two strategically important regions. The presence of regional and global competitors has aggravated the affairs of both regions. The research methodology is descriptive and analytical and the conclusion of this research paper is that the’ Glocalization of politics’ in South Asia and Central Asia is inversely proportional to the inter-regional connectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, ceramic cells based on high proton conductivity have attracted much attention and can be employed for hydrogen production and electricity generation, especially at low temperatures. Nevertheless, attaining a high power output and durability is challenging, especially at low operational temperatures. In this regard, we design semiconductor heterostructure SFT-ZnO (SrFe 0.3 TiO 3 -ZnO) materials to function as an electrolyte for fuel cell and electrolysis applications. Using this approach, the functional semiconductor heterostructure can deliver a better power output and high ionic and proton conductivity at low operational temperatures. The prepared cell in fuel cell mode has demonstrated excellent performance of 700 mW cm -2 and proton performance of 540 mW cm -2 at the low temperature of 520 °C, suggesting dominant proton conduction. Further, the prepared cell delivers exceptional current densities of 1.18 and 0.38 A cm -2 (at 1.6 and 1.3 V, respectively) at 520 °C in the electrolysis mode. Our electrochemical cell is stable in fuel and electrolysis mode at a low temperature of 500 °C.