Abstract
Ce0.5Sr0.5 (Co0.8Fe0.2)1−x ZrxO3−δ (CSCFZ) powders were synthesized by the sol-gel method and characterized to study structural and electrochemical properties. X-ray diffractometer (XRD) patterns of all samples give nanosized particles of a high-degree crystalline cathode having a cubic-type perovskite structure of space group Pm-3m with the existence of oxygen vacancies in the lattices. The results have the perovskite phase with average crystallite sizes of 26.57 nm, 18.14 nm, 18.13 nm, and 18.12 nm with porosities of 9.93%, 9.87%, 9.50%, and 9.08% for x = 0, 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2, respectively. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs showed the presence of pores on the microstructure. Average grain sizes of prepared samples found from SEM images were in the range of 105.30–183.02 nm. The partial substitution of zirconium at the B-site shows more stable materials than the host without decreasing the porosity that much. The results of electronic conductivity analyzed by the four-probe dc technique show that the conductivity of synthesized materials increases with the increment of both dopant concentration and temperature by the decrement of area specific resistances. The electrical conductivity of CSCFZ steadily increased with the increment of temperature which reached 42.76 Scm−1 at around 450°C.
Highlights
Using fossil fuels as energy sources cause environmental issues by affecting the atmosphere. ese environmental issues affect human life and which leads to the innovation of alternative energy sources such as fuel cells. e usage of a safe, desirable, and clean energy carrier instead of fossil fuels has a substantial impact on diminishing air pollution [1]
area specific resistance (ASR) of Ce0.5Sr0.5 (Co0.8Fe0.2)1−xZrxO3−δ (CSCFZ) cathodes is decreased with the rising of temperature and have values ranging from 0.098–0.1295 Ω·cm2 to 250–450°C temperature range for concentration x 0.2. From this point of view, the concentration x 0.2 CSCFZ material can be considered as better cathodic candidates. e obtained ASR results are much lower than previous literature reported on the cells 1.74 Ω·cm2 at 600°C [31,32,33], showing that this cathode can be used in the LIT-SOFCs and are in the range of 0.07–0.3 Ω·cm2 [24]: where s is DC conductivity, t is the thickness of the sample, R is the resistance of the sample, and A is the area of the sample [34]
Ce0.5Sr0.5 (Co0.8Fe0.2)1−xZrxO3−δ (CSCFZ) powders for x 0 and (0.1 ≤ x ≤ 0.2) in a step sizes increment of 0.05 had been synthesized by the sol-gel method and characterized to explore their properties to use as a cathode material for low intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LITSOFCs). e crystal structure, microstructure, thermal properties, and electronic conductivity of the synthesized samples have been determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the four-probe dc technique. e XRD result gives that all samples are single phases with a cubic perovskite-type structure with an average crystallite size of 26.57 nm, 18.14 nm, 18.13 nm, and 18.12 nm for x 0, 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2, respectively
Summary
Using fossil fuels as energy sources cause environmental issues by affecting the atmosphere. ese environmental issues affect human life and which leads to the innovation of alternative energy sources such as fuel cells. e usage of a safe, desirable, and clean energy carrier instead of fossil fuels has a substantial impact on diminishing air pollution [1]. According to Yusof and Rahman, BSCF has been reported as a good and effective cathode material due to high conductivity, excellent oxygen transport, catalytic activity, and a potential candidate for a low-temperature solid oxide fuel cell (LT-SOFC) [19]. As SOFC cathodes, Sr1−xCexCoO3−δ materials have sufficiently high electronic conductivities and excellent chemical compatibility with SDC electrolyte [4]. There were many cathodes used (such as LSM, LSC, LSCF, and BSCF), the thermo-mechanical suitability between electrolyte and cathode can be improved by mixing cathode material with a new element or a small impurity such as zirconium and titanium [25] Such composite cathode will have better electronic conductivity, and the overpotential of the cathode can be reduced by adding zirconium or titanium [25]. Its electrochemical performance as a cathode for SOFCs was examined in cathodic symmetrical cells. e relationship between the structure and properties of Ce0.5Sr0.5 (Co0.8Fe0.2)1−x ZrxO3−δ as a cathode for SOFCs has been correlated, and the microscopic reason for the observed good performance has been revealed
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