Photoelectron spectroscopy on silver electrodes on yttria stabilized zirconia under applied potential

Silver electrode layers of different porosity on yttrium stabilized zirconia (YSZ) were investigated by X-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS and UPS resp.). By applying different potentials in a three electrode arrangement oxygen could be transported from a gaseous reservoir to the working electrode. The change in the work function of the working electrode as a function of applied potentials was monitored by UPS. It showed significant different behavior for dense and porous silver electrodes. On a dense silver electrode a change in work function of up to 0.6 eV was observed at potentials at which a considerable current passed through the electrolyte. In the UP spectra of the valence band an additional structure appeared at a binding energy of 3.3 eV. These changes were also reflected in the appearance of oxygen O 1s signals in the XP spectra at 529 eV assigned to subsurface oxygen. On a porous silver electrode the work function at equilibrium (open circuit) was higher than that of metallic silver and increased linearly with increasing potential, although yet no current through the electrolyte could be observed. With the onset of considerable currents at larger anodic potentials the work function increase became stronger. As reason for the linear increase of the measured work function contributions of the solid electrolyte YSZ are considered. Paper presented at the 7th Euroconference on Ionics, Calcatoggio, Corsica, France, Oct. 1–7, 2000.