Facile and low-temperature synthesis approach to fabricate Sm0.5Sr0.5CoO3-δ cathode material for solid oxide fuel cell

Herein, we report a facilely synthesized Sm0.5Sr0.5CoO3 (SSC) nano-catalyst as a cathode material for the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). The SSC nano-catalyst was synthesized by a sol-gel process using citric acid and metal nitrates and calcination was performed at a relatively low temperature of 1250 celcius. The crystallinity and morphology of the catalyst were observed by the X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope. The average particle size of the SSC powder was 100 nm after calcination at 1250 degrees C. The resulting SSC material was employed as a cathode for the SOFC. The SOFC cell with highly active SSC showed a peak power density of 900 mWcm(-2) at 700 degrees C. The single cell with an SSC cathode showed excellent stability under the accelerated operating conditions of 0.5A/cm(2) and 650 degrees C for 1250 min. The cell performance was enhanced during the initial hours of the long-term operation which is attributed to the cathode activation process and improved cathode/buffer layer interface contact. This work features a cost-effective, scalable, and reproducible method for the production of highly robust SSC cathode material for the SOFC under relatively low calcination temperatures.

Automated summary

We report the synthesis of a facilely synthesized Sm0.5Sr0.5CoO3 (SSC) nano-catalyst as a cathode material for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The SSC nano-catalyst showed excellent crystallinity and morphology, with an average particle size of 100 nm after calcination at 1250 degrees C. The resulting SSC material exhibited a peak power density of 900 mWcm(-2) at 700 degrees C and excellent stability under accelerated operating conditions. This work presents a cost-effective and scalable method for producing highly robust SSC cathode material for SOFCs.