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Self-assembled dynamic perovskite composite cathodes for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells

Nature Energy volume 2, Article number: 16214 (2017) Cite this article

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Abstract

Electrode materials for intermediate temperature (500–700 ∘C) solid oxide fuel cells require electrical and mechanical stability to maintain performance during the cell lifetime. This has proven difficult to achieve for many candidate cathode materials and their derivatives with good transport and electrocatalytic properties because of reactivity towards cell components, and the fuels and oxidants. Here we present Ba0.5Sr0.5(Co0.7Fe0.3)0.6875W0.3125O3−δ (BSCFW), a self-assembled composite prepared through simple solid state synthesis, consisting of B-site cation ordered double perovskite and disordered single perovskite oxide phases, as a candidate cathode material. These phases interact by dynamic compositional change at the operating temperature, promoting both chemical stability through the increased amount of W in the catalytically active single perovskite provided from the W-reservoir double perovskite, and microstructural stability through reduced sintering of the supported catalytically active phase. This interactive catalyst-support system enabled stable high electrochemical activity through the synergic integration of the distinct properties of the two phases.

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Figure 1: Phase diagram and crystal structure of the composite system.
Figure 2: Stability of BSCFW shown by XRD patterns.
Figure 3: Rietveld refinement of BSCFW.
Figure 4: TEM studies of BSCFW.
Figure 5: ASR and SEM micrographs for BSCFW and other materials.

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Acknowledgements

We thank EPSRC for support under EP/H000925 and EP/N004884. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction work was carried out with the support of Diamond Light Source (UK). Time-of-flight neutron diffraction work was carried out with the support of ISIS Spallation Source (UK). We thank C. Tang, S. Thompson, J. Parker and P. Adamson for assistance on Beamline I11 (Diamond Light Source) and R. Smith for assistance on POLARIS (ISIS). M.J.R. thanks the Royal Society for the award of a Research Professorship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZD, UK

    J. Felix Shin, Wen Xu, Marco Zanella, Stanislav N. Savvin, John B. Claridge & Matthew J. Rosseinsky

  2. School of Engineering, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GH, UK

    Karl Dawson

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Contributions

M.J.R. and J.B.C. developed the concept for the study with input from J.F.S.; W.X. performed initial exploratory work with supervision from J.F.S.; J.F.S. designed and performed the remaining experiments, with the exceptions of DC conductivity measurement by S.N.S. and TEM work performed by K.D. and M.Z.; J.F.S. and M.J.R. wrote the first draft, which J.F.S. then expanded. All authors discussed the results and further developed the manuscript.

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Correspondence to John B. Claridge or Matthew J. Rosseinsky.

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Competing interests

A patent application covering this work has been filed by Ceres Intellectual Property Company Limited (UK patent application no. GB1421069.4, International patent application no. PCT/GB2015/053400) that names M.J.R., J.B.C., J.F.S. and W.X. as inventors.

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Supplementary Figures 1–18, Supplementary Tables 1–4, Supplementary Notes 1–8, Supplementary References. (PDF 1874 kb)

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Shin, J., Xu, W., Zanella, M. et al. Self-assembled dynamic perovskite composite cathodes for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells. Nat Energy 2, 16214 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nenergy.2016.214

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