Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Temperature dependency of activity of nano-catalysts on La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3−δ cathode of solid oxide fuel cells

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Journal of Applied Electrochemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this study, Ag-ceria, Co-ceria, and Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3 nano-catalysts were introduced onto the structure of La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3−δ cathode of solid oxide fuel cells through infiltration technique and the electrochemical features of the infiltrated cathodes were examined by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and analysis of distribution of relaxation times in the temperature range of 500–800 °C. The results revealed that Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3 exhibits considerable promoting behavior in the upper portion of the studied temperature range, while Co-ceria demonstrates significant catalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction at lower temperatures probably due to the active valence exchange of cobalt species in the spinel structure of cobalt oxide. Analysis of distribution of relaxation times revealed that low frequency arc of the impedance spectra is effectively hampered as a result of Ag-ceria and Co-ceria infiltration. Cathodic polarization of the infiltrated cells showed stable performance of the infiltrated electrodes over 50 h at 700 °C.

Graphic abstract

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Li M, Sun Z, Yang W, Hong T, Zhu Z, Zhang Y, Wu X, Xia C (2017) Mechanism for the enhanced oxygen reduction reaction of La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3 − δ by strontium carbonate. Phys Chem Chem Phys 19:503–509

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Li Y, Gemmen R, Liu X (2010) Oxygen reduction and transportation mechanisms in solid oxide fuel cell cathodes. J Power Sources 195:3345–3358

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Choi J-J, Park D-S, Seong B-G, Bae H-Y (2012) Low-temperature preparation of dense (Gd, Ce)O2 − δ–Gd2O3 composite buffer layer by aerosol deposition for YSZ electrolyte-based SOFC. Int J Hydrogen Energy 37:9809–9815

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Nie L, Liu M, Zhang Y, Liu M (2010) La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3 − δ cathodes infiltrated with samarium-doped cerium oxide for solid oxide fuel cells. J Power Sources 195:4704–4708

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Liu Y, Bi J, Chi B, Pu J, Jian L (2016) Effects of impregnating palladium on catalytic performance of LSCF-GDC composite cathodes for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells. Int J Hydrogen Energy 41:6486–6492

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Mostafavi E, Babaei A, Ataie A (2015) Synthesis of nano-Structured La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3 perovskite by co-precipitation method. J Ultrafine Grained Nanostruct Mater 48:45–52

    Google Scholar 

  7. Mostafavi E, Babaei A, Ataie A (2015) La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3 perovskite cathode for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells: a comparative study. Iran J Hydrogen Fuel Cell 1:239–246

    Google Scholar 

  8. Zhang X, Zhang H, Liu X (2014) High performance La2NiO4 + δ-infiltrated (La0.6Sr0.4)0.995Co0.2Fe0.8O3 − δ cathode for solid oxide fuel cells. J Power Sources 269:412–417

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Liu M, Ding D, Blinn K, Li X, Nie L, Liu M (2012) Enhanced performance of LSCF cathode through surface modification. Int J Hydrogen Energy 37:8613–8620

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Dowd RP, Lee S, Fan Y, Gerdes K (2016) Engineering the solid oxide fuel cell electrocatalyst infiltration technique for industrial use. Int J Hydrogen Energy 41:14971–14981

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Seyed-Vakili SV, Graves CR, Babaei A, Heshmati-Manesh S, Mogensen MB (2017) Performance improvement of an inhomogeneous cathode by infiltration. Fuel Cells 17:108–114

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Jiang SP (2012) Nanoscale and nano-structured electrodes of solid oxide fuel cells by infiltration: advances and challenges. Int J Hydrogen Energy 37:449–470

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Liu Y, Mori M, Funahashi Y, Fujishiro Y, Hirano A (2007) Development of micro-tubular SOFCs with an improved performance via nano-Ag impregnation for intermediate temperature operation. Electrochem Commun 9:1918–1923

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Sakito Y, Hirano A, Imanishi N, Takeda Y, Yamamoto O, Liu Y (2008) Silver infiltrated La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3 cathodes for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells. J Power Sources 182:476–481

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Simner SP, Anderson MD, Coleman JE, Stevenson JW (2006) Performance of a novel La(Sr)Fe(Co)O3–Ag SOFC cathode. J Power Sources 161:115–122

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Mori M, Liu Y, Itoh T (2009) La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3 − δ current collectors via Ag infiltration for microtubular solid oxide fuel cells with intermediate temperature operation. J Electrochem Soc 156:B1182–B1187

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Pi S-H, Lee J-W, Lee S-B, Lim T-H, Park S-J, Park C-O, Song R-H (2014) Performance and durability of anode-supported flat-tubular solid oxide fuel cells with Ag-infiltrated cathodes. J Nanosci Nanotechno 14:7668–7673

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Seyed-Vakili SV, Babaei A, Ataie M, Heshmati-Manesh S, Abdizadeh H (2018) Enhanced performance of La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 cathode for solid oxide fuel cells by co-infiltration of metal and ceramic precursors. J Alloy Compd 737:433–441

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Mogensen M, Sammes NM, Tompsett GA (2000) Physical, chemical and electrochemical properties of pure and doped ceria. Solid State Ionics 129:63–94

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Ai N, Chen K, Jiang SP (2013) A fundamental study of infiltrated CeO2 and (Gd, Ce)O2 nanoparticles on the electrocatalytic activity of Pt cathodes of solid oxide fuel cells. Solid State Ionics 233:87–94

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Trovarelli A (1996) Catalytic properties of ceria and CeO2-containing materials. Catal Rev 38:439–520

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Reed K, Cormack A, Kulkarni A, Mayton M, Sayle D, Klaessig F, Stadler B (2014) Exploring the properties and applications of nanoceria: is there still plenty of room at the bottom? Environ Sci 1:390–405

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Yamahara K, Jacobson CP, Visco SJ, Zhang X-F, De Jonghe LC (2005) Thin film SOFCs with cobalt-infiltrated cathodes. Solid State Ionics 176:275–279

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Imanishi N, Ohno R, Murata K, Hirano A, Takeda Y, Yamamoto O, Yamahara K (2009) LSM–YSZ cathode with infiltrated cobalt oxide and cerium oxide nanoparticles. Fuel Cells 9:215–221

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. He Y, Fan L, Afzal M, Singh M, Zhang W, Zhao Y, Li J, Zhu B (2016) Cobalt oxides coated commercial Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3 − δ as high performance cathode for low-temperature SOFCs. Electrochim Acta 191:223–229

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Wu W, Wang X, Liu Z, Zhao Z, Ou D, Tu B, Cheng M (2014) Influence of deposition temperature of GDC interlayer deposited by RF magnetron sputtering on anode-supported SOFC. Fuel Cells 14:171–176

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Ding X, Zhu W, Gao X, Hua G, Li J (2015) Enhanced SOFC cathode performance by infiltrating Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3 − δ nanoparticles for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells. Fuel Process Technol 135:14–19

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Wan TH, Saccoccio M, Chen C, Ciucci F (2015) Influence of the discretization methods on the distribution of relaxation times deconvolution: implementing radial basis functions with DRTtools. Electrochim Acta 184:483–499

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Graves C (2012) RAVDAV Data Analysis Software, Version 0.9. 7. Technical University of Denmark, Roskilde, Denmark

  30. Nielsen J, Jacobsen T, Wandel M (2011) Impedance of porous IT-SOFC LSCF: CGO composite cathodes. Electrochim Acta 56:7963–7974

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Hildenbrand N, Boukamp BA, Nammensma P, Blank DH (2011) Improved cathode/electrolyte interface of SOFC. Solid State Ionics 192:12–15

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Stern KH (1972) High temperature properties and decomposition of inorganic salts part 3, nitrates and nitrites. J Phys Chem Ref Data 1:747–772

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Xu X-L, Chen Z-H, Li Y, Chen W-K, Li J-Q (2009) Bulk and surface properties of spinel Co3O4 by density functional calculations. Surf Sci 603:653–658

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Wachsman E, Kan C (2009) Identifying drivers of catalytic activity through systematic surface modification of cathode materials. ECS Trans 16:33–46

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Ai N, Jiang SP, Lü Z, Chen K, Su W (2010) Nanostructured (Ba, Sr)(Co, Fe)O3 − δ impregnated (La, Sr) MnO3 cathode for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells. J Electrochem Soc 157:B1033–B1039

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Li Y, Gerdes K, Horita T, Liu X (2013) Surface exchange and bulk diffusivity of LSCF as SOFC cathode: electrical conductivity relaxation and isotope exchange characterizations. J Electrochem Soc 160:F343–F350

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Kuklja M, Kotomin EA, Merkle R, Mastrikov YA, Maier J (2013) Combined theoretical and experimental analysis of processes determining cathode performance in solid oxide fuel cells. Phys Chem Chem Phys 15:5443–5471

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge University of Tehran (Grant No. 810729920/6/02) and Iran Nanotechnology Initiative Council (Grant No. 108038) for their financial supports.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

    Ali Soltanizade, Alireza Babaei, Abolghasem Ataie & Seyed Vahidreza Seyed-Vakili

Authors
  1. Ali Soltanizade
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Alireza Babaei
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Abolghasem Ataie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Seyed Vahidreza Seyed-Vakili
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alireza Babaei.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Soltanizade, A., Babaei, A., Ataie, A. et al. Temperature dependency of activity of nano-catalysts on La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3−δ cathode of solid oxide fuel cells. J Appl Electrochem 49, 1113–1122 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10800-019-01355-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10800-019-01355-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation