Ba0.9Co0.7Fe0.2Nb0.1O3-δ perovskite as promising cathode material for proton ceramic fuel cell

The protonic ceramic fuel cell (PCFC) is limited in performance by the delayed oxygen reaction on the cathode caused by low temperature. Herein, we investigate Ba0.9Co0.7Fe0.2Nb0.1O3-delta (BCFN), a cathode material with excellent electrocatalytic activity and structural stability. The electrical conductivity relaxation method was explored for the proton transport ability of BCFN material, which revealed a proton diffusion coefficient of 0.515 x 10(-3) cm s(-1) at 600 degrees C. To further enhance the proton conductivity of material and increase the reaction sites, a BCFN-BaCe0.7Zr0.1Y0.1Yb0.1O3-delta (BCZYYb) composite cathode was developed and its average thermal expansion coefficient value was lowered to 15.7 x 10(-6) K-1 from 30 to 800 degrees C. At 700 degrees C, a single cell with a BCFN-BCZYYb cathode achieves a peak power density of 859 mW cm(-2), and the Rp value is 0.05 Omega cm(2). Furthermore, good durability of stable operation at 150 mA cm(-2) for 100 h is obtained at 600 degrees C. These results imply that BCFN-BCZYYb could be an effective PCFC cathode. (c) 2023 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study investigates Ba0.9Co0.7Fe0.2Nb0.1O3-delta (BCFN) as a cathode material and develops a BCFN-BaCe0.7Zr0.1Y0.1Yb0.1O3-delta (BCZYYb) composite cathode to enhance the performance of protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs). The results show that BCFN-BCZYYb exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity, structural stability, and proton conductivity. It achieves a high peak power density at 700℃ and demonstrates good durability.