High performance nanostructured IT-SOFC cathodes prepared by novel chemical method

The electrochemical performance of La0.4Sr0.6CO0.8Fe0.2O3-delta (LSCF) cathodes with different nano/microstructures is compared using the area specific resistance (ASR). Cathodes are prepared using two chemical routes, including a novel method to obtain nanosized LSCF oxide. The results clearly point that the intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFC) cathode performance strongly depends on microstructure and that ASR can vary more than two orders of magnitude for identical composition and different morphologies, reaching values as low as 0.05 Omega cm(2) at 600 degrees C and 0.4 Omega cm(2) at 450 degrees C using the novel chemical route, which are even lower than the best known cathodes for IT-SOFC. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.