In situ techniques reveal the true capabilities of SOFC cathode materials and their sudden degradation due to omnipresent sulfur trace impurities.

ABSTRACT: In this study, five different mixed conducting cathode materials were grown as dense thin films by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and characterized via in situ impedance spectroscopy directly after growth inside the PLD chamber (i-PLD). This technique enables quantification of the oxygen reduction kinetics on pristine and contaminant-free mixed conducting surfaces. The measurements reveal excellent catalytic performance of all pristine materials with polarization resistances being up to two orders of magnitude lower than those previously reported in the literature. For instance, on dense La_0.6Sr_0.4CoO_3-δ thin films, an area specific surface resistance of ∼0.2 Ω cm² at 600 °C in synthetic air was found, while values usually >1 Ω cm

SUBMITTER: Riedl C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9295724 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature