Preparation and Electrochemical Performance of Cobalt-free Cathode Material Ba0.5Sr0.5Fe0.9Nb0.1O3-δ for Intermediate-temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Perovskite oxide Ba0.5Sr0.5Fe0.9Nb0.1O3-δ（BSFN） as a cobalt-free cathode for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells（IT-SOFCs） on the Ce0.5Sm0.2O1.9（SDC） and La0.9Sr0.1Ga0.8Mg0.23O3-δ（LSGM） electrolytes was prepared and investigated. The single phase BSFN oxide with a cubic perovskite structure and relatively high elec- trical conductivities was obtained after sintering at 1250℃ for 10 h in air. The BSFN cathode exhibited excellent chemical stability on the SDC and LSGM electrolytes at temperatures below 950 ℃. The area specific resistance of the BSFN cathode on the SDC and LSGM electrolytes were 0.024 and 0.021 Ω·cm2 at 800℃, respectively. The maximum power densities of the single cell with BSFN cathode in 300 μm-thick SDC and LSGM electrolytes achieved 414 and 516 mW/cm2 at 800℃, respectively. These results show that the BSFN material is a promising co- bait-free cathode candidate to be used in IT-SOFCs. A combination of the BSFN cathode and LSGM electrolyte is preferred owing to its excellent electrochemical performance.     

Efficient CO_2 Electrolysis with Fluorite Structure Nanoparticles Modified Perovskite Structure La_(0.75)Sr_(0.25)Cr_(0.5)Mn_(0.5)O_(3-δ) Cathode

Perovskite structure La_(0.75)Sr_(0.25)Cr_(0.5)Mn_(0.5)O_(3-δ)(LSCM) cathode with unique structure can electrolyze CO_2 to CO in solid oxide electrolysers(SOEs).However,the cell performance is restricted by its electro-catalysis activity.In this work,fluorite structure nanoparticles(CeO_(2-δ)) are impregnated on LSCM cathode to improve the electro-catalysis activity.X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscope(SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) together approve that the fluorite structure nanoparticles are uniformly distributed on the perovskite structure LSCM scaffold.Electrochemical measurements illustrate that direct CO_2 electrolysis with 10%mol CeO_(2-δ) impregnated LSCM cathode exhibits excellent performance for current density(0.5 A×cm~(-2)) and current efficiency(～95%) at 800 ℃ under 1.6 V.It is believed that the enhanced performance of directed CO_2 electrolysis may be due to the synergetic effect of fluorite structure CeO_(2-δ) nanoparticles and perovskite structure LSCM ceramic electrode.     

A defective iron-based perovskite cathode for high-performance IT-SOFCs: Tailoring the oxygen vacancies using Nb/Ta co-doping

The sluggish kinetics of the electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) in intermediatetemperature solid oxide fuel cells(IT-SOFCs) greatly limits the overall cell performance. In this study,an efficient and durable cathode material for IT-SOFCs is designed based on density functional theory(DFT) calculations by co-doping with Nb and Ta the B-site of the SrFeO_3-δ perovskite oxide. The DFT calculations suggest that Nb/Ta co-doping can regulate the energy band of the parent SrFeO     

Molten salt synthesis and supercapacitor properties of oxygen-vacancy LaMnO_(3-δ)

Due to the unique structure of perovskite materials,their capacitance can be improved by introducing oxygen vacancy.In this paper,the LaMnO_(3-δ) material containing oxygen vacancy was synthesized by molten salt method in KNO_3-NaNO_3-NaNO_2 melt.The La-Mn-O crystal grows gradually in molten salt with the increase of temperature.It was confirmed that LaMnO_(3-δ) with perovskite structure and incomplete oxygen content were synthesized by molten salt method and presented a three-dimensional shape.LaMnO_(3-δ) stores energy by redox reaction and adsorption of OH-in electrolyte simultaneously.In comparison with the stoichiometric LaMnO_3 prepared by the sol-gel method,LaMnO_(3-δ) prepared by molten salt method proffered higher capacitance and better performance.The galvanostatic charge-discharge curve showed specific capacitance of 973.5 F/g under current density of 1 A/g in 6 M KOH.The capacitance of LaMn0_(3-δ) was 82.7%under condition of 5 A/g compared with the capacitance at the current of 1A/g,and the specific capacitances of 648.0 and 310.0 F/g were obtained after 2000 and 5000 cycles of galvanostatic charging-discharging,respectively.Molten salt synthesis method is relatively simple and suitable for industrial scale,presenting a promising prospect in the synthesis of perovskite oxide materials.     

Oxygen permeation and phase structure properties of partially A-site substituted BaCo_(0.7)Fe_(0.225)Ta_(0.075)O_(3-δ) perovskites

Ba0.9R0.1Co0.7Fe0.225Ta0.075O3-δ(BRCFT, R = Ca, La or Sr) membranes were synthesized by a solid-state reaction. Metal cation Ca2+,La3+or Sr2+doping on A-site partially substituted Ba2+in BaCo0.7Fe0.225Ta0.075O3-δoxides, and its subsequent effects on phase structure stability, oxygen permeability and oxygen desorption were systematically investigated by XRD, TG-DSC, H2-TPR, O2-TPD techniques and oxygen permeation experiments. The partial substitution with Ca2+, La3+or Sr2+, whose ionic radii are smaller than that of Ba2+, succeeded in stabilizing the cubic perovskite structure without formation of impurity phases, as revealed by XRD analysis. Oxygen-involving experiments showed that BRCFT with A-site fully occupied by Ba2+exhibited good oxygen permeation flux under He flow, reaching about 2.3mL min-1 cm-2at 900 ℃ with 1 mm thickness. Of all the membranes, BLCFT membrane showed better chemical stability in CO2, owing to the reduction in alkalinity of the mixed conductor oxide by La doping. In addition, we also found the stability of the perovskite structure under reducing atmospheres was strengthened by increasing the size of A-site cation(Ba2+La3+Sr2+Ca2+).     

Activation in the initial stage of oxygen permeation in SrCo0.9Ta0.1O3-δ

Mixed conducting perovskite oxide SrCo_0.9Ta_0.1O_3-δ（SCT） is synthesized by solid-state reaction method.The activation in the initial stage of oxygen permeation through the SCT membrane is investigated.The results show that the activation in the initial stage of oxygen permeation has activate-memory,the first activation can only help to reduce active time of the next cycles,but it is helpless to increase the final oxygen permeation flux.XRD characterization shows that the imperfect perovskite phase structure is gradually improved and the crystal lattice has made some self-adjustment under the permeation conditions,therefore,the oxygen permeation flux of SCT disk membrane increases gradually and till it reaches a steady state.     

Sn and Y co-doped BaCo0.6Fe0.4O3-δ cathodes with enhanced oxygen reduction activity and CO2 tolerance for solid oxide fuel cells

Applying mixed oxygen ionic and electronic conducting（MIEC） oxides as the cathode offers a promising solution to enhance the performance of solid oxide fuel cells（SOFCs）. However, the phase instability in CO₂-containing air and sluggish oxygen reduction activity of MIEC cathodes remain a long-term challenge for optimizing the electrochemical performance of SOFCs. Herein, a heterovalent co-doping strategy is proposed to enhance the oxygen reduction activity and CO₂ tolerance...     

Synthesis–structure correlations of manganese–cobalt mixed metal oxide nanoparticles

Mixed metal oxides in the nanoscale are of great interest for many aspects of energy related research topics as water splitting, fuel cells and battery technology. The development of scalable, cost-efficient and robust synthetic routes toward well-defined solid state structures is a major objective in this field.While monometallic oxides have been studied in much detail, reliable synthetic recipes targeting specific crystal structures of mixed metal oxide nanoparticles are largely missing. Yet, in order to meet the requirements for a broad range of technical implementation it is necessary to tailor the properties of mixed metal oxides to the particular purpose. Here, we present a study on the impact of the nature of the gas environment on the resulting crystal structure during a post-synthesis thermal heat treatment of manganese–cobalt oxide nanoparticles. We monitor the evolution of the crystal phase structure as the gas atmosphere is altered from pure nitrogen to synthetic air and pure oxygen. The particle size and homogeneity of the resulting nanoparticles increase with oxygen content, while the crystal structure gradually changes from rocksalt-like to pure spinel. We find the composition of the particles to be independent of the gas atmosphere. The manganese–cobalt oxide nanoparticles exhibited promising electrocatalytic activity regarding oxygen evolution in alkaline electrolyte. These findings offer new synthesis pathways for the direct preparation of versatile utilizable mixed metal oxides.     

Oxygen permeability and CO_2-tolerance of Ce_(0.8)Gd_(0.2)O_(2-δ)-Ln BaCo_2O_(5+δ) dual-phase membranes

A series of oxygen permeable dual-phase composite oxides 60 wt% Ce0.8Gd0.2O2-δ-40 wt% Ln Ba Co2O5+δ(CGO-LBCO, Ln = La, Pr, Nd,Sm, Gd and Y) were synthesized through a sol-gel route and effects of the Ln3+cations on their phase structure, oxygen permeability and chemical stability against CO2 were investigated systemically by XRD, SEM, TG-DSC and oxygen permeation experiments. XRD patterns reveal that the larger Ln3+cations(La3+, Pr3+and Nd3+) successfully stabilized the double-layered perovskite structure of sintered LBCO,while the smaller ones(Sm3+, Gd3+, and Y3+) resulted in the partial decomposition of LBCO with some impurities formed. CGO-PBCO yields the highest oxygen permeation flux, reaching 2.8×10-7mol s-1 cm-2at 925?C with 1 mm thickness under air/He gradient. The TG-DSC profiles in 20 mol% CO2/N2 and oxygen permeability experiments with CO2 as sweep gas show that CGO-YBCO demonstrates the best chemical stability against CO2, possibly due to its minimum basicity. The stable oxygen permeation flux of CGO-YBCO under CO2 atmosphere reveals its potential application in the oxy-fuel combustion route for CO2 capture.     

Comparison of LaFeO3, La0.8Sr0.2FeO3, and La0.8Sr0.2Fe0.9Co0.1O3 perovskite oxides as oxygen carrier for partial oxidation of methane

Comparison of LaFeO3, La0.8Sr0.2FeO3, and La0.8Sr0.2Fe0.9CO0.1O3 perovskite oxides as oxygen carrier for partial oxidation of methane in the absence of gaseous oxygen was investigated by continuous flow reaction and sequential redox reaction, Methane was oxidized to syngas with high selectivity by oxygen species of perovskite oxides in the absence of gaseous oxygen. The sequential redox reaction revealed that the structural stability and continuous oxygen supply in redox reaction decreased over La0.8Sr0.2Fe0.9Co0. 1O3 oxide, while LaFeO3 and La0.8Sr0.2FeO3 exhibited excellent structural stability and continuous oxygen supply.     

High performance and stability of double perovskite-type oxide NdBa_(0.5)Ca_(0.5)Co_(1.5)Fe_(0.5)O_(5+δ) as an oxygen electrode for reversible solid oxide electrochemical cell

In this study,we successfully synthesized double perovskite-type oxide NdBa_(0.5)Ca_(0.5)Co_(1.5)Fe_(0.5)O_(5+δ)(NBCCF) using a conventional wet chemical method as the oxygen electrode for reversible solid oxide electrochemical cells (RSOCs).The polarization resistance (R_p) of the composite electrode NBCCFGd_(0.1)Ce_(0.9)O_2 (GDC) is only 0.079Ωcm~2 at 800℃under air.The single cell based on NBCCF-GDC electrode displays a peak power density of 0.941 W/cm~2 in fuel cell mode and a low R_p value of 0.134Ωcm~2.In electrolysis cell mode,the cell displays an outstanding oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity and shows current density as high as 0.92 A/cm~2 with 50 vol%AH (Absolute Humidity) at 800℃and applied voltage of 1.3 V.Most importantly,the cell exhibits admirable durability of 60 h both in electrolysis mode and fuel cell mode with distinguished reversibility.All these results suggest that NBCCF is a promising candidate electrode for RSOC.     

Synthesis and characterization of gallium-based perovskitetype dense membrane with oxygen semipermeability

La0.15Sr0.85Ga0.3Fe0.7O3-δ(LSGFO) and La0.15Sr0.85Co0.3Fe0.7O3-δ(LSCFO) mixed oxygen-ion and electron conducting oxides were synthesized by using a combined EDTA and citrate complexing method, and the corresponding dense membranes were fabricated. The properties of the oxide powders and membranes were characterized with combined SEM, XRD, H2-TPR, O2-TPD techniques, mechanical strength and oxygen permeation measurement. The results showed that LSGFO had much higher thermochemical stability than LSCFO due to the higher valence stability of Ga3+. After the temperature-programmed reduction by 5% H2 in Ar from 20℃to 1020℃, the basic perovskite structure of LSGFO was successfully preserved. LSGFO also favors the oxygen vacancy formation better than LSCFO. Oxygen permeation measurement demonstrated that LSGFO had higher oxygen permeation flux than LSCFO, but they had similar activation energy for oxygen transportation, with a value of 110 and 117 kJ ?mol~(-1), respectively. The difference in oxygen permeation f     

Y-Ba-Cu-O mixed oxides for production of diphenols in liquid-solid phase

Superconductor mixed oxides were often used as catalysts at higher temperature in gas phase oxidations, and considered not suitable for lower temperature reactions in the liquid-solid phase; here the catalysis of YBa2Cu3O7+x and Y2BaCuO5+x in the phenol hydroxylation at lower temperature with H2O2 as oxygen donor was studied, and found that the superconductor YBaCu3O7±x has no catalytic activity for phenol hydroxylation, but Y2BaCuO5±x does, even has better catalytic activity and stability than most previously reported ones. With the studies of catalysis of other simple metal oxides and perovskite-like mixed oxides, a radical substitution mechanism is proposed and the experimental facts are explained clearly, and draw a conclusion that the perovskite-like mixed oxides with (AO)(ABO3) and (AO)2(ABO3) structure have better catalytic activity than the simple per-ovskite oxides with (ABO3)3 structure alone, and (AO) structure unit is the key for the mixed oxides to have the phenol hydroxylation activity.     

A Novel Route to Synthesize Nano-crystalline Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-δ Perovskite Oxide at High Temperature

BSCF, a composite oxide with mixed oxygen ionic and electronic conductivity at high temperature, has received increasing attention since it was first developed as the oxygen permeable membrane and the membrane reactor for partial oxidation of natural gas to syngas by Shao et al.2, 3. It shows high oxygen permeability and catalytic activity for the reduction of the oxygen4-6. Very recently, it is also successfully applied as the cathode material in intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cel…     

Double perovskite oxides Sr_2Mg_(1-x)Fe_xMoO(6-δ) for catalytic oxidation of methane

The double perovskite oxides Sr2Mg1-xF exMoO6-δ were investigated as catalysts for the methane oxidation.The structural properties of catalysts were characterized in detail by X-ray diffraction,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray absorption spectroscopy.The catalytic property was strongly influenced by the Fe substitution.The relation between catalytic performance and the degree of Fe substitution was examined with regard to the structure and surface characteristics of the mixed oxides.The Fe-containing catalysts exhibited higher activity attributable to the possible(Fe2+,Mo6+) and (Fe3+,Mo5+)valency pairs,and the highest activity was observed for Sr2Mg0.2Fe0.8MoO6-δ.The enhancement of the catalytic activity may be correlated with the Fe-relating surface lattice oxygen species and was discussed in view of the presence of oxygen vacancies.     

Partial Oxidation of Methane to Syngas Using LatticeOxygen of La_(1-x)Sr_xFeO_3 Perovskite OxideCatalysts Instead of Molecular Oxygen

Catalytic partial oxidation of methane to syngas using the lattice oxygen of La1-xSrxFeO3 perovskite oxide catalysts in place of molecular oxygen was studied. La1-xSrxFeO3 (x=0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5) perovskite oxides were prepared by the "auto-combustion method". XRD analysis showed that all La1-xSrxFeO3 samples have a single-phase perovskite-type oxide. The redox properties of the catalysts were investigated by temperature programmed reduction with hydrogen (H2-TPR). Reducibility of the catalysts increase with the increasing of the Sr2+ content. The oxygen species of the catalysts and their reaction with CH4 were studied by the temperature programmed surface reaction (CH4-TPSR). In the absence of gas phase oxygen, there exist two kinds of oxygen species on the catalysts. One kind of the oxygen species with strong oxidative ability is produced first, which can oxidize CH4 completely to CO2 and H2O. Then, the second oxygen species with weak oxidative ability is formed, which can oxidize CH4 partially to CO and     

Enhancing cathode performance for CO_2 electrolysis with Ce_(0.9)M_(0.1)O_(2-δ)(M=Fe,Co, Ni) catalysts in solid oxide electrolysis cell

Electrochemical conversion with solid oxide electrolysis cells is a promising technology for CO_2 utilization and simultaneously store renewable energy. In this work, Ce_(0.9)M_(0.1)O_(2-δ)(CeM, M=Fe, Co, Ni) catalysts are infiltrated into La_(0.6) Sr_(0.4) Cr_(0.5_ Fe_(0.5) O_(3-δ)–Gd_(0.2) Ce_(0.8) O_(2-δ)(LSCr Fe-GDC) cathode to enhance the electrochemical performance for CO2 electrolysis. Ce Co-LSCr Fe-GDC cell obtains the best performance with a current density of 0.652 A cm-2, followed by Ce Fe-LSCr Fe-GDC and Ce Ni-LSCr Fe-GDC cells with the value of 0.603 and 0.535 A cm~(-2), respectively, about 2.44, 2.26 and 2.01 times higher than that of the LSCr Fe-GDC cell at1.5 V and 800 °C. Electrochemical impedance spectra combined with distributions of relaxed times analysis shows that both CO_2 adsorption process and the dissociation of CO_2 at triple phase boundaries are accelerated by Ce M catalysts, while the latter is the key rate-determining step.     

Electrochemical ageing study of mixed lanthanum/praseodymium nickelates La2-xPrxNiO4+δ as oxygen electrodes for solid oxide fuel or electrolysis cells

The chemical and electrochemical stability of lanthanide nickelates La2 NiO4+δ(LNO),Pr2 NiO4+δ(PNO)and their mixed compounds La(2-x)PrxNiO4+δ(LPNOs)with x=0.5,1 or 1.5 is reported.The aim is to promote these materials as efficient electrodes for solid oxide fuel cell(SOFC)and/or solid oxide electrolysis cell(SOEC).La2 NiO4+δand La1.5Pr0.5NiO4+δcompounds are chemically very stable as powders over one month in the temperature range 600-800℃,while the other materials rich in praseodymium progressively decompose into various perovskite-deriving components with additional Pr6 O11.Despite their uneven properties,all these materials are quite efficient and sustainable as electrodes on top of gadolinium doped ceria(GDCBL)//yttrium doped zirconia(8 YSZ)electrolyte,for one month at 700℃without polarization.Under polarization(300 mA·cm-2),the electrochemical performances of LNO,PNO and La1.5Pr0.5NiO4+δ(LP5 NO)quickly degrade in SOFC mode,i.e.for the oxygen reduction reaction,while they show durability in SOEC mode,i.e.for the oxide oxidation reaction.     

Oxygen permeability and CO2-tolerance of Ce0.8Gd0.2O2-δ-Ln BaCo2O5+δ dual-phase membranes

A series of oxygen permeable dual-phase composite oxides 60 wt% Ce0.8Gd0.2O2-δ-40 wt% Ln Ba Co2O5+δ(CGO-LBCO, Ln = La, Pr, Nd,Sm, Gd and Y) were synthesized through a sol-gel route and effects of the Ln3+cations on their phase structure, oxygen permeability and chemical stability against CO2 were investigated systemically by XRD, SEM, TG-DSC and oxygen permeation experiments. XRD patterns reveal that the larger Ln3+cations(La3+, Pr3+and Nd3+) successfully stabilized the double-layered perovskite structure of sintered LBCO,while the smaller ones(Sm3+, Gd3+, and Y3+) resulted in the partial decomposition of LBCO with some impurities formed. CGO-PBCO yields the highest oxygen permeation flux, reaching 2.8×10-7mol s-1 cm-2at 925?C with 1 mm thickness under air/He gradient. The TG-DSC profiles in 20 mol% CO2/N2 and oxygen permeability experiments with CO2 as sweep gas show that CGO-YBCO demonstrates the best chemical stability against CO2, possibly due to its minimum basicity. The stable oxygen permeation flux of CGO-YBCO under CO2 atmosphere reveals its potential application in the oxy-fuel combustion route for CO2 capture.     

Synthesis of New Solid Solutions on Neodymium-stabilized La2Mo2O9

Oxide ion conductors form a class of materials which are widely sought for and studied since they can be used in different field among solid oxide fuel cells (FOFC), oxygen sensors, oxygen pumping devices, or oxygen-permeable membrane catalysts, for instance1-3. Now research focuses on the oxide ion conductors with new structure and improving the conductivity or lowering the operating temperature. Recently P.Lacorre et al.4 have reported a novel oxide-ion conductor based on La2Mo2O9. F.…