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Complexions at the Electrolyte/Electrode Interface in Solid Oxide Cells
Author(s) -
Türk Hanna,
Schmidt FranzPhilipp,
Götsch Thomas,
Girgsdies Frank,
Hammud Adnan,
Ivanov Danail,
Vinke Izaak C.,
de Haart L.G.J. Bert,
Eichel RüdigerA.,
Reuter Karsten,
Schlögl Robert,
KnopGericke Axel,
Scheurer Christoph,
Lunkenbein Thomas
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
advanced materials interfaces
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.671
H-Index - 65
ISSN - 2196-7350
DOI - 10.1002/admi.202100967
Subject(s) - materials science , electrolyte , lanthanum manganite , oxide , anode , fast ion conductor , yttria stabilized zirconia , electrode , cubic zirconia , manganite , nanotechnology , atomic units , chemical engineering , ceramic , chemistry , composite material , physics , quantum mechanics , ferromagnetism , engineering , metallurgy
Rapid deactivation presently limits a wide spread use of high‐temperature solid oxide cells (SOCs) as otherwise highly efficient chemical energy converters. With deactivation triggered by the ongoing conversion reactions, an atomic‐scale understanding of the active triple‐phase boundary between electrolyte, electrode, and gas phase is essential to increase cell performance. Here, a multi‐method approach is used comprising transmission electron microscopy and first‐principles calculations and molecular simulations to untangle the atomic arrangement of the prototypical SOC interface between a lanthanum strontium manganite (LSM) anode and a yttria‐stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte in the as‐prepared state after sintering. An interlayer of self‐limited width with partial amorphization and strong compositional gradient is identified, thus exhibiting the characteristics of a complexion that is stabilized by the confinement between two bulk phases. This offers a new perspective to understand the function of SOCs at the atomic scale. Moreover, it opens up a hitherto unrealized design space to tune the conversion efficiency.