A-site deficient chromite perovskite with in situ exsolution of nano-Fe: a promising bi-functional catalyst bridging the growth of CNTs and SOFCs

For the first time, an iron doped lanthanum strontium chromite with A-site deficiency (A-LSCFe) was fabricated and utilized as an effective bi-functional catalyst for the growth of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The introduction of A-site deficiency significantly facilitates the in situ exsolution of nano-iron particles on which considerable amounts of MWCNTs are grown. The material was also used as the anode catalyst for SOFCs and proved to be a very effective anode catalyst in comparison with the stoichiometric material (sto-LSCFe). The exsolved nano-iron particles on A-LSCFe provide many more active sites for the oxidation reaction of fuel, leading to sharp enhancement of the electrochemical performance of the cell. It is also discovered that the growth of MWCNTs with high electron conductivity leads to a further improvement of the electricity output.