Enhancing electrocatalytic CO2 reduction in solid oxide electrolysis cell with Ce0.9Mn0.1O2−δ nanoparticles-modified LSCM-GDC cathode

Abstract

(La,Sr)(Cr,Mn)O3 perovskite (LSCM) is one of the most promising cathode materials for solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) at high temperature, but suffers from poor electrocatalytic activity towards CO2 reduction. Here we report that a modified LSCM based composite cathode fabricated via infiltrating Ce0.9Mn0.1O2−δ (CMO) nanoparticles onto (La0.75Sr0.25)0.95(Cr0.5Mn0.5)O3−δ-Ce0.8Gd0.2O1.9 (LSCM-GDC) composite materials, shows greatly improved electrocatalytic activity and stability towards CO2 reduction compared with the unmodified LSCM cathode. Physicochemical characterizations and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis of electrocatalytic CO2 reduction in SOEC show that CO2 adsorption and the following carbonate intermediate dissociation processes on the CMO nanoparticles-modified LSCM-GDC cathode are significantly improved, which is attributed to the increased active three phase boundaries and surface oxygen vacancies by the infiltration of CMO nanoparticles on the LSCM-GDC cathode.