PROTON-CONDUCTING SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELLS WITH NLSCF CATHODE

The electrochemical performances of the solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) fabricated with Nd-doped LSCF (NLSCF) perovskite cathodes, thin BCZY electrolytes, and BCZY-Ni anodes by tape casting, spin coating, and co-firing are evaluated at 600-800 ℃. Material analysis, such as SEM, TEM, and XRD, confirmed that no detectable second phase remains in the NLSCF cathode, indicating that the calcined NLSCF nanopowders have good compatibility with the fabrication of anode-supported fuel cells in this study. It can be clearly seen that the NLSCF cathode is highly porous and adhered well to the BCZY electrolyte. Fuel cell testing with the NLSCF cathode exhibits a maximum power density of ~407.6 mW/cm² at 800 ℃, which is significantly higher than those of cells with a powder-derived LSCF cathode. The significantly lower polarization resistance elements extracted from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) further suggested that the NLSCF cathode has superior catalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction and better oxygen ionic transport in the cathode reactions. The performance improvement of NLSCF cathode can be explained in terms of trade-off between electrocatalytic activity, oxygen ionic and electronic conductivity of the NLSCF. This study shows that NLSCF nanopowder would be a promising cathode material for proton-conducting SOFCs.