A Cobalt‐Free Multi‐Phase Nanocomposite as Near‐Ideal Cathode of Intermediate‐Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Developed by Smart Self‐Assembly

• Published in: Advanced materials (Weinheim) 2020-02, Vol.32 (8), p.e1906979-n/a
• Main Authors: Song, Yufei, Chen, Yubo, Xu, Meigui, Wang, Wei, Zhang, Yuan, Yang, Guangming, Ran, Ran, Zhou, Wei, Shao, Zongping
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Assembly; Cathodes; Cerium oxides; Chemical compatibility; Electrolytes; Electrolytic cells; High temperature; Materials science; multi‐phase; Nanocomposites; Nanoparticles; Nickel oxides; Organic chemistry; Oxygen reduction reactions; Perovskites; Solid oxide fuel cells; Stability; Strong interactions (field theory); Synergistic effect; Thermal expansion
• ISSN: 0935-9648; 1521-4095
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.201906979

An ideal solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cathode should meet multiple requirements, i.e., high activity for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), good conductivity, favorable stability, and sound thermo‐mechanical/chemical compatibility with electrolyte, while it is very challenging to achieve all these requirements based on a single‐phase material. Herein, a cost‐effective multi‐phase nanocomposite, facilely synthesized through smart self‐assembly at high temperature, is developed as a near‐ideal cathode of intermediate‐temperature SOFCs, showing high ORR activity (an area‐specific resistance of ≈0.028 Ω cm2 and a power output of 1208 mW cm−2 at 650 °C), affordable conductivity (21.5 S cm−1 at 650 °C), favorable stability (560 h operation in single cell), excellent chemical compatibility with Sm0.2Ce0.8O1.9 electrolyte, and reduced thermal expansion coefficient (≈16.8 × 10−6 K−1). Such a nanocomposite (Sr0.9Ce0.1Fe0.8Ni0.2O3–δ) is composed of a single perovskite main phase (77.2 wt%), a Ruddlesden–Popper (RP) second phase (13.3 wt%), and surface‐decorated NiO (5.8 wt%) and CeO2 (3.7 wt%) minor phases. The RP phase promotes the oxygen bulk diffusion while NiO and CeO2 nanoparticles facilitate the oxygen surface process and O2− migration from the surface to the main phase, respectively. The strong interaction between four phases in nanodomain creates a synergistic effect, leading to the superior ORR activity. A cobalt‐free multi‐phase nanocomposite with a superior electrochemical activity for oxygen reduction is developed as a near‐ideal cathode of intermediate‐temperature solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) via a smart self‐assembly strategy. Sr0.9Ce0.1Fe0.8Ni0.2O3–δ is a highly promising cathode material for SOFCs, suitable for the efficient and stable operation at the intermediate‐temperature range.