Cerium and ruthenium co-doped La0.7Sr0.3FeO3–δ as a high-efficiency electrode for symmetrical solid oxide fuel cell

Abstract

Symmetrical solid oxide fuel cells (SSOFCs) could be alternative energy conversion devices due to their simple fabrication process and low cost. Herein, perovskite La0.6Ce0.1Sr0.3Fe0.95Ru0.05O3–δ (LCSFR) was synthesized and evaluated as a high-performance electrode for SSOFCs based on the electrolyte of La0.9Sr0.1Ga0.8Mg0.2O3–δ (LSGM). LCSFR retains their stable perovskite crystal structure in both reducing and oxidizing atmospheres, though a minor amount of LaSrFeO4 phase is present under reducing conditions. Morphology investigation shows that homogeneously dispersed Ru metallic nanoparticles are exsolved on the surface of LCSFR after being reduced. The polarization resistance (Rp) of LCSFR-CGO (Ce0.9Gd0.1O2–δ) is about 0.11 Ω⋅cm2 at 800 °C in air, while the value of Rp for LCSFR-CGO in wet H2 (3% H2O) increases up to 0.32 Ω⋅cm2. The symmetrical LCSFR-CGO|LSGM|LCSFR-CGO cell demonstrates a performance with an open circuit potential (OCV) of 1.07 V and a maximum peak power density of 904 mW/cm2 at 800 °C using wet H2 as the fuel. This high performance indicates that LCSFR is a candidate electrode for SSOFCs.