High performance solid oxide fuel cells with electrocatalytically enhanced (La,Sr)MnO3 cathodes

The conventionally mixed LSM–YSZ, LSM impregnated YSZ (LSM + YSZ) and Pd impregnated LSM–YSZ (Pd + LSM–YSZ) cathodes, were prepared and evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and single cell testing. The electrochemical performance of the impregnated cathodes have been significantly boosted due to the formation of nano-sized LSM and Pd particles on the YSZ and LSM–YSZ substrates, respectively, and in turn, the increased area of the triple phase boundary (TPB) where the O₂ reduction reaction occurs, the power densities as high as 1.42 and 0.83 W cm^?2 at 750 °C were achieved from single cells with the Pd + LSM–YSZ and LSM + YSZ cathodes, respectively, in contrast to 0.20 W cm^?2 from the single cell with the conventional LSM–YSZ cathode. Suggesting the Pd + LSM–YSZ and LSM + YSZ cathodes can be well used for the intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs).     

Mechanistic analysis of the oxygen reduction reaction at (La,Sr)MnO3 cathodes in solid oxide fuel cells

The primary aim of this work was to establish the mechanism of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at (La(0.8)Sr(0.2))0.98MnO3 (LSM)-based cathodes in solid oxide fuel cells. Rate equations, based on the Butler-Volmer equation and employing either Langmuir or Temkin adsorption conditions for reactant and intermediate species, were derived, yielding predicted reaction orders and transfer coefficients. Experimental data were collected using half-cell cyclic voltammetry in a variable pO2 atmosphere (0.03 to 1 atm) at 600 to 900 degrees C, using both dense and porous LSM-based cathodes, employed to establish the impact of the accessibility of the active site on cathode activity. The rate of the ORR at dense LSM has been found to be limited by the dissociation of O(2ads)- at low currents and by the first electron-transfer step, reducing O(2ads) to O(2ads)-, at high currents. However, at porous LSM cathodes, the reaction mechanism is more difficult to deduce because the electrode morphology impacts significantly on the measured kinetic and mechanistic parameters, giving anomalous transfer coefficients of <0.5.     

Sims characterization of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 films for solid oxide fuel cell applications

Among solid oxides exploited to prepare efficient fuel cells, La(1-x)SrxMnO3 manganites have been widely studied and used as cathodes, because of their high conductivity at the working temperatures, good thermal stability and compatibility with other cell components. A fundamental goal in solid oxide fuel cells technology consists in lowering the normal operating temperatures, e.g. increasing the surface/volume ratio of electrodic materials, so as to enhance their catalytic performances. In this work, the preparation of high surface area La(1-x)SrxMnO3 (x approximately 0.3) films on silicon wafers by the nitrate-citrate Pechini process is described. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Atomic Force Microscopy and Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry. Good quality nanostructured perovskite-type films were obtained. SIMS methodology enabled to show the surface and in-depth coatings composition and residual contaminants. Moreover, it allowed defining the best synthesis conditions for complete in-depth decomposition of precursors and obtaining homogeneously thick coatings.     

(La0.8Sr0.2)0.9MnO3–Gd0.2Ce0.8O1.9 composite cathodes prepared from (Gd, Ce)(NO3) x -modified (La0.8Sr0.2)0.9MnO3 for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells

Development of high performance cathodes with low polarization resistance is critical to the success of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) development and commercialization. In this paper, (La_0.8Sr_0.2)_0.9MnO₃ (LSM)–Gd_0.2Ce_0.8O_1.9(GDC) composite powder (LSM ~70 wt%, GDC ~30 wt%) was prepared through modification of LSM powder by Gd_0.2Ce_0.8(NO₃) _x solution impregnation, followed by calcination. The electrode polarization resistance of the LSM–GDC cathode prepared from the composite powder was ~0.60 Ω cm² at 750 °C, which is ~13 times lower than that of pure LSM cathode (~8.19 Ω cm² at 750 °C) on YSZ electrolyte substrates. The electrode polarization resistance of the LSM–GDC composite cathode at 700 °C under 500 mA/cm² was ~0.42 Ω cm², which is close to that of pure LSM cathode at 850 °C. Gd_0.2Ce_0.8(NO₃) _x solution impregnation modification not only inhibits the growth of LSM grains during sintering but also increases the triple-phase-boundary (TPB) area through introducing ionic conducting phase (Gd,Ce)O_2-δ, leading to the significant reduction of electrode polarization resistance of LSM cathode.     

Composite cathode materials Ag-Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3 for solid oxide fuel cells

Silver-Ba_0.5Sr_0.5Co_0.8Fe_0.2O_3-δ (BSCF) cathodes were prepared in two ways. In the first method, Ag-BSCF composite powder was prepared in ethanol solution, where Ag nanoparticles serving as a component in the preparation of Ag-BSCF composite cathodes had been previously obtained via one-step synthesis in absolute ethanol using a neutral polymer (polyvinylpyrrolidone). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to use a Ag sol obtained by the above method for preparation of Ag-BSCF composite powder. Then, a paste containing this powder was screen-printed on a Sm_0.2Ce_0.8O_1.9 electrolyte and sintered at 1,000 °C. In the second technique, an aqueous solution of AgNO₃ was added to a previously sintered BSCF cathode, which was then sintered again at 800 °C. The oxygen reduction reaction at the quasi-point BSCF cathode on the Sm_0.2Ce_0.8O_1.9 electrolyte was tested by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy at different oxygen concentrations in three electrode setup. The continuous decrease of polarization resistance was observed under polarization ?0.5 V at 600 °C. The comparative studies of both obtained composite Ag-BSCF materials were performed in hydrogen-oxygen IT-SOFC involving samaria-doped ceria as an electrolyte and Ni-Gd_0.2Ce_0.8O_1.9 anode. In both cases, the addition of silver to the cathode caused an increase in current and power density compared with an IT-SOFC built with the same components but involving a monophase BSFC cathode material.     

A 3D fibrous cathode with high interconnectivity for solid oxide fuel cells

A three-dimensional (3D) fibrous cathode of solid oxide fuel cell was fabricated by using eggshell membranes (ESMs) as the template. This cathode possesses high porosity and interconnectivity, and low polarization resistance. A single fuel cell with the 3D fibrous Sm_0.5Sr_0.5CoO₃/Ce_0.8Sm_0.2O_1.9 cathode shows significantly improved performances at low operating temperatures (500–600 °C) as compared with the cell prepared with the ESM-templated cluster cathode in our previous study.     

Ln_2MO_4 cathode materials for solid oxide fuel cells

One of the major challenges to develop intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells is finding a novel cathode material, which can meet the following requirements: (1) high electronic conductivity; (2) chemical compatibility with the electrolyte; (3) a matched thermal expansion coefficient (TEC); (4) stability in a wide range of oxygen partial pressure; and (5) high catalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). In this short review, a survey of these requirements for K2NiF4-type material wi...     

LSM-YSZ nano-composite cathode with YSZ interlayer for solid oxide fuel cells

Low temperature prepared(La_(0.8)Sr_(0.2))_(0.9)MnO_3-δ-Y_(0.15)Zr_(0.85)O_(1.93)(LSM-YSZ) nano-composite cathode has high three-phase boundary(TPB) density and shows higher oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) activity than traditional LSM-YSZ cathode at reduced temperatures. But the weak connection between cathode and electrolyte due to low sintering temperature restrains the performance of LSM-YSZ nano-composite cathode. A YSZ interlayer, consisted of nanoparticles smaller than 10 nm, is introduced by spinning coating hydrolyzed YSZ sol solution on electrolyte and sintering at 800 °C. The thickness of the interlayer is about 150 nm. The YSZ interlayer intimately adheres to the electrolyte and shows obvious agglomeration with LSM-YSZ nano-composite cathode. The power densities of the cell with interlayer are 0.83, 0.46 and 0.21 W/cm~2 under 0.7 V at 800, 700 and 600 °C, respectively, which are 36%, 48% and 50% improved than that of original cell. The interlayer introduction slightly increases the ohmic resistance but significantly decreases the polarization resistance. The depressed high frequency arcs of impedance spectra suggest that the oxygen incorporation kinetics are enhanced at the boundary of YSZ interlayer and LSM-YSZ nanocomposite cathode, contributing to improved electrochemical performance of the cell with interlayer.     

Dip-coating and co-sintering technologies for fabricating tubular solid oxide fuel cells

A dip-coating method to fabricate anode-supported tubular solid oxide fuel cells has been successfully developed. The length, outside diameter, and thickness of the single cell are 10.8 cm, 1.0 cm, and 0.6 mm, respectively. The area of the cathode is 15–16 cm² (cathode length = 4.8 cm). The cell consists of a Ni-YSZ anode support tube, a Ni-ScSZ anode functional layer, a ScSZ electrolyte film, a LSM-ScSZ cathode functional layer, and a LSM cathode current collecting layer. A preliminary examination of the single tubular cell has been carried out and an acceptable performance was obtained. The maximum power density was, respectively, 325, 276, 208, and 168 mW cm⁻² at 850, 800, 750, and 700 °C, when operating with humidified hydrogen.     

Preparation of electrolyte membranes for micro tubular solid oxide fuel cells

Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) micro tubular electrolyte membranes for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) were prepared via the combined wet phase inversion and sintering technique. The as-derived YSZ mi- cro tubes consist of a thin dense skin layer and a thick porous layer that can serve as the electrode of fuel cells. The dense and the porous electrolyte layers have the thickness of 3-5 μm and 70-90 μm, respectively, while the inner surface porosity of the porous layer is higher than 28.1%. The two layers are perfectly integrated together to preclude the crack or flake of electrolyte film from the electrode. The presented method possesses distinct advantages such as technological simplicity, low cost and high reliability, and thus provides a new route for the preparation of micro tubular SOFCs.     

Synthesis and electrocatalytic performance of La0.3Ce0.1Sr0.5Ba0.1TiO3 anode catalyst for solid oxide fuel cells

Ce-doped La_0.4Sr_0.5Ba_0.1TiO_3–δ (LCSBT) perovskite anode catalysts in solid oxide fuel cells were successfully synthesized by a modified rheological phase reaction for the first time. Pure LCSBT could be obtained under a reducing atmosphere and nano-CeO₂ particles could be exsoluted from LCSBT after being sintered in air. The catalytic activity and electrochemical performance of LCSBT anodes for the H₂ oxidation were obviously improved comparing with the pure La_0.4Sr_0.5Ba_0.1TiO_3–δ (LSBT) and LSBT&CeO₂ admixture anodes. The improved performance could be attributed to the nanostructure of LCSBT and the exsoluted nano-CeO₂ particles.     

Anode substrate with continuous porosity gradient for tubular solid oxide fuel cells

Tubular solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are fabricated using a modified phase inversion process to obtain anode structure with graded pore distribution. The novel structure is achieved using an additional graphite layer to control the phase separation reaction in the ceramic layer and to remove the skin layer, which always presents in phase inversion process. The graded anode can effectively eliminate the concentration polarization loss at high current density as observed for the anode with the skin layer. In addition, improved peak power density is obtained with the graded-anode based cell, demonstrating that the modified process is promise in fabricating tubular SOFCs.     

LaNi0.6Fe0.4O3 as a cathode contact material for solid oxide fuel cells

In solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) the interconnects electrically link air and fuel electrodes on either side to produce a practical electrical power output. The long-term stability of intermediate temperature (650–800 °C) SOFC operation strongly depends on the composition of the ferritic steel interconnection material and the steel/ceramic interface. During high-temperature operation the Cr-containing ferritic steel forms an oxide scale at its surface, thereby causing high ohmic electrical contact resistance when connected to the surface of an electronically conducting ceramic cathode material. In the long run, the vaporization of Cr species from these oxide scales also affects the cathode activity, eventually leading to cell deterioration. One way of overcoming the problem is to incorporate another electronically conducting ceramic compliant layer, commonly known as the contact layer, between the cathode and metallic interconnect. In this contribution, LaNi_0.6Fe_0.4O₃ was tested as a cathode contact material. Its performance at 800 °C in the form of a ~50 μm thick film applied on two ferritic steel compositions was examined. After 600 h of testing, contact resistances of 60 and 160 mΩ cm² were obtained. The different values are explained by the variation in steel composition.     

Novel in situ method (vacuum assisted electroless plating) modified porous cathode for solid oxide fuel cells

A novel in situ method – vacuum assisted electroless plating (VA–EP) is developed to modify the porous structure of various materials. The advantage of this method is it can form a metal network based on the already-given structure. We utilize this method to deposit silver (VA–EPA) in porous perovskite cathode Ba_0.5Sr_0.5Co_0.8Fe_0.2O_3−δ (BSCF) for an intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell (IT–SOFC) in the present research. The results of investigation show the performance of the modified cathode (VA–EPA–BSCF) enhances greatly, for example, the polarization resistance of VA–EPA–BSCF decreases by 60% at 600 °C compared to BSCF.     

Improvement in stability of La0.4Ba0.6CoO3 cathode by combination with La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3 for intermediate temperature-solid oxide fuel cells

Improvement in long-term stability and cathodic activity of La_0.4Ba_0.6CoO₃ (BLC) was studied by mixing with La_0.6Sr_0.4Co_0.2Fe_0.8O₃ (LSCF). LSCF exhibits good long-term stability; however, surface activity is not high like Co-based perovskite. On the other hand, the cathodic activity of BLC is high; however, long-term stability was not so good and large degradation at initial period is observed. Combination of the two oxides shows small overpotential as well as improved long-term stability. Effects of BLC/LSCF ratio on stability and overpotential were studied and it was found that BLC–LSCF (7:3) showed the most stable and small cathodic overpotential among the examined compositions. Although the power density was still slightly decreased over 24 h at 0.5 V terminal voltage, the maximum powder density of the cell using BLC–LSCF composite oxides for cathode shows 2.5 times larger than that of the cell using LSCF cathode and 1.06 times larger than that of BLC. Degradation rate is smaller than 4 % from 5 to 24 h on this BLC–LSCF cathode at current density as high as 682 mA/cm² after 24 h operation.     

Effect of polarization on the electrode behavior and microstructure of (La,Sr)MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> electrodes of solid oxide fuel cells

The electrode behavior and microstructure of freshly prepared (La_0.8Sr_0.2)_0.9MnO₃ (LSM) electrodes were investigated under various polarization conditions. The original, large agglomerates in freshly prepared LSM electrodes were broken down into sphere-shaped grains when exposed to cathodic or anodic current passage of 200 mA cm^–2 at 800 °C in air for 3 h. Microstructural changes under cathodic polarization could be related to the pronounced diffusion and migration of oxygen vacancies and Mn ions on the LSM surface and lattice expansion, while lattice shrinkage under oxidation conditions most likely contributes to the structural changes under anodic polarization. Such morphological changes were irreversible and were found to be beneficial to the performance of freshly prepared LSM electrodes. Freshly prepared LSM electrodes behaved very differently with respect to the cathodic and anodic current passage treatment.     

Electrochemical properties of cathodes made of (La,Sr)(Fe,Co)O3 containing admixtures of nanoparticles of cupric oxide and intended for fuel cells with a solid electrolyte based on ceric oxide

The electric and electrochemical characteristics of cathodes made of La_0.6Sr_0.4Fe_0.8Co_0.2O_3?δ (LSFC) and intended for fuel cells with electrolytes based on ceric oxide are studied. Adding cupric oxide into the LSFC cathode is shown to exert a favorable effect of the properties of the LSFC-CuO/SDC electrode system, where SDC stands for the CeO₂-Sm₂O₃ electrolyte. The effect produced by cupric oxide when added in the form of nanopowder is perceptibly greater than in the case of micropowdered CuO. Adding a mere 0.5 wt % of nanopowdered CuO reduces the LSFC cathode resistance nearly tenfold. The cathode’s adhesion to the electrolyte substantially improves as well, which makes it possible to lower the cathode’s firing temperature by 100°C. The maximum of electrochemical activity is intrinsic to cathodes containing 2 wt % CuO, with the caking temperature of 1000°C. According to a 2011-h life test of the LSFC-SDC composite cathodes containing nanopowdered CuO, temporal stability of their electrochemical characteristics improves with the SDC content. The time dependences of the polarization resistance of cathodes containing 40–50 wt % SDC look like decaying exponential curves. The steady-state polarization resistance, calculated on the basis of this, is equal to 0.1–0.2 ohm cm². At an overvoltage of less than 100 mV, the cathodes may provide for a current density of 0.5–1.0 A cm^?2.     

钙钛矿锰氧化物(La_(1-x)Gd_x)_(0.5)Sr_(0.5)MnO_3的磁电阻效应

采用传统的高温固相法制备了多晶样品(La1-xGdx)0.5Sr0.5MnO3(x=0,0.1,0.2,0.3,0.4),利用X射线衍射仪(XRD)、超导量子磁强计(SQUID)、标准四端引线法分别对样品结构、磁性、电性以及磁电阻效应进行了研究。研究表明:Gd的少量替代并没有引起结构变化;随着Gd含量的增加,所有样品的居里温度TC和金属-绝缘体转变温度Tp都降低了;在TC附近发现了磁电阻效应,同时在低温下发现了更大的磁电阻;并且Gd的少量替代可使磁电阻MR增大。