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An In Situ Formed, Dual‐Phase Cathode with a Highly Active Catalyst Coating for Protonic Ceramic Fuel Cells
Author(s) -
Chen Yu,
Yoo Seonyoung,
Pei Kai,
Chen Dongchang,
Zhang Lei,
deGlee Ben,
Murphy Ryan,
Zhao Bote,
Zhang Yanxiang,
Chen Yan,
Liu Meilin
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.201704907
Subject(s) - materials science , cathode , x ray photoelectron spectroscopy , chemical engineering , oxide , electrolyte , ceramic , raman spectroscopy , solid oxide fuel cell , coating , electrode , nanotechnology , composite material , chemistry , physics , optics , engineering , metallurgy
Composite cathodes of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are normally fabricated by mechanical mixing of electronic‐ and ionic‐conducting phases. Here, a dual‐phase SOFC cathode, composed of perovskite PrNi 0.5 Mn 0.5 O 3 (PNM) and exsoluted fluorite PrO x particles, produced in situ through a glycine–nitrate solution combustion process, is reported. When applied as the cathode for a BaZr 0.1 Ce 0.7 Y 0.1 Yb 0.1 O 3 ‐based protonic ceramic fuel cell, the hybrid cathode displays excellent electrocatalytic activity (area‐specific resistance of 0.052 Ω cm 2 at 700 °C) and remarkable long‐term stability when operated at a cell voltage of 0.7 V for ≈500 h using H 2 as fuel and ambient air as oxidant. The excellent performance is attributed to the proton‐conducting BaPrO 3 ‐based coating and high‐concentration oxygen vacancies of a Ba‐doped PNM surface coating, produced by the reaction between the cathode and Ba from the electrolyte (via evaporation or diffusion), as confirmed by detailed X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and density functional theory‐based calculations.