Low Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Research Articles

Performance and Stability Enhancement of Ni-Based Cermet Anode Using Atomic Layer Deposited Ruthenium for Direct Methane-Fueled Low-Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

Nickel (Ni) based cermet, e.g., Ni-doped zirconia(e.g., YSZ) and Ni-doped ceria(e.g., GDC), is the most widely used anode material for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). SOFC has been considered as a promising energy converter because of its high efficiency, eco-friendliness, and fuel flexibility. However, recently, SOFC operating below 500°C with more conventional fuels such as hydrocarbon or alcohol are actively studied for overcoming the limitations of high temperature SOFC, e.g., durability, cost, and limited application. Therefore, the necessity of improving the performance and stability of Ni-based anode is aroused because it shows relatively slow hydrocarbon and alcohol oxidation kinetics in the low-temperature regime and vulnerable to carbon deposition. To improve kinetics and stability of Ni-based anode upon hydrocarbon fuel-based operation, various kinds of metal catalysts, e.g., copper, palladium, iron, etc., have been applied using fabrication techniques such as wet synthesis, infiltration, vapor deposition, etc. In this study, ruthenium (Ru) having high catalytic activity and carbon coking toleration is applied to Ni-based cermet anode used in methane-fueled low-temperature SOFC. In particular, atomic layer deposition (ALD), which can deposit nanoparticles conformally on porous structures, is used for depositing Ru nanoparticles on nano-structured Ni-based cermet anode. ALD Ru nanoparticles fabricated in such a way are well-dispersed on the surface of Ni-based cermet anode and effectively improve the performance and stability of the anode when it is operated with methane-fuel. Especially, Ni-based anode with optimal ALD Ru thickness, i.e., 10nm in thickness, shows 40% higher maximum power density than those without ALD Ru overcoating when operated with methane fuel.

Nano-Ceramic Cathodes via Co-sputtering of Gd–Ce Alloy and Lanthanum Strontium Cobaltite for Low-Temperature Thin-Film Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

We report the electrochemical performance and structural characteristics of porous nanostructured ceramic cathodes for thin-film solid oxide fuel cells (TF-SOFCs) based on yttria-stabilized zirconi...

Ceria-carbonate Electrolyte Ceramic Membrane for Intermediate and Low Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells: A Review

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is a potential energy conversion technology with high efficiency and high fuel impurity tolerance. Its electrolyte layer is a crucial component and a novel ceria-carbonate electrolyte ceramic membrane has been developed for the intermediate and low temperature SOFCs (IT-LT SOFCs). The ceria-carbonate electrolyte can be produced by either a two-steps process which produces microscale particles or a one-step process which produces nanoscale materials. The ceria-carbonate composite ceramic membrane facilitates both of the oxide ion and proton conductions thus this material has a potential to raise the multi-ions transportation and improve performance of IT-LT SOFCs.

Improvement of Electrochemical Performance of Thin Film Mixed Ionic Electronic Cathode for Low Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells By Additional Catalytic Current Collecting Layer

In the present study, catalytic current collecting layer (CCCL) was added to thin film La0.6Sr0.4Co0.8Fe0.2O1-δ (LSCF) cathode for low temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LT SOFCs) to improve both electrical current collection and catalytic activity. By adding CCCL, the maximum power density improved nearly 10-fold compared to the bare LSCF cathode. With thicker Pt or Pd CCCL, ohmic loss in current collection and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity were both improved. Due to smooth oxygen ion conduction of solid oxide electrolytes, a typical range of operating temperature of SOFCs is 800 ~ 1000 ℃, which imposes a number of obstacles for SOFCs to be commercialized. Lots of studies have been carried out to make the operating temperature lower, down to 400 ~ 600 ℃. However, not only ion conduction in electrolytes but also ORR activity in cathode highly depends on temperature. As the operating temperature goes down, the faradaic impedance of SOFCs become severe because of sluggish ORR at a lower temperature. LSCF, one of the widely used cathode material in SOFCs, shows poor ORR activity and electronic conductivity at this temperature range. Therefore, Pt has been mainly used as electrode material for LT SOFCs based on its superior catalytic activity in lower temperature but it suffers from thermal instability, such as agglomeration. In this report, the noble catalysts, Pt and Pd, were investigated as the CCCL for mixed ionic electronic conductor LSCF cathode to enhance both electronic conductivity and catalytic activity at 550 ℃. LSCF cathode was deposited on the single crystal (100) YSZ pellet by using PLD. For the CCCL, Pt and Pd were adopted and deposited via direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering on the LSCF cathode. The thickness of the CCCL was varied from 100 nm to 300 nm. Ni was used as anode and deposited on the other side of the pellet via DC magnetron sputtering for about 300 nm. GDC interlayer with thickness of approximately 250 nm was applied between YSZ pellet and LSCF cathode to block formation of any insulation layer through reaction between YSZ and LSCF. Electrochemical performance was investigated through i-V plot and EIS and long-term stability was measured with Galvanostatic mode. The microstructure of LSCF and CCCL were investigated through FIB-SEM, FE-SEM. Crystal structure of the LSCF cathode CCCL was studied with XRD.

High-Performance Ni/Pt Composite Catalytic Anode with Ultra-Low Pt Loading for Low-Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

In this study, we developed a Ni/Pt bilayer catalytic anode that has high electrochemical activity and significantly reduced Pt loading amount, for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LT-SOFCs). The Ni/Pt bilayer anodes with various thicknesses of the Pt catalytic active layer were fabricated on yttria-stabilized zirconia substrates via the direct current sputtering technique, and their performances were evaluated for the LT-SOFCs. The optimal thickness of the Pt catalytic layer for the Ni/Pt bilayer was found to be 10 nm based on the results for the fuel cell performance and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis. The optimal Pt10/Ni140 anode showed a cell performance and polarization resistance very similar to those of a reference single-phase Pt anode, while having only 7% of the Pt loading amount of the reference Pt anode. For the detailed morphological analysis of the bilayer structure anode, we employed the pull-off delamination process to analyze both the surface and interface morphologies of the bilayer anodes and the interface morphology of the Ni/Pt bilayer anodes after the operating test was analyzed. The results presented herein indicate the suitability of the methodology for the morphological analysis of thin-film bilayer structures and contribute to reduce the cost of membrane electrode assembly fabrication for LT-SOFCs, thus facilitating the commercialization of these systems.

Enhancing Oxygen Reduction Reaction Activity and CO2 Tolerance of Cathode for Low-Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells by in Situ Formation of Carbonates.

Development of low-cost and cobalt-free efficient cathode materials for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) remains one of the paramount motivations for material researchers at a low temperature (<650 °C). In particular, iron-based perovskite oxides show promise as electrocatalysts for ORR because Fe metal is cheaper and naturally abundant, exhibit matched thermal expansion with contacting components such as electrolytes, and show high tolerance in a CO2-containing atmosphere. Herein, we demonstrated a new mechanism, the in situ formation of alkali metal carbonates at the cathode surface. This new mechanism leads to an efficient and robust cobalt-free electrocatalyst (Sr0.95A0.05Fe0.8Nb0.1Ta0.1O3-δ, SAFNT5, A = Li, Na, and K) for the application of low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LT-SOFCs). Our results revealed that the formation of Li\K carbonates boosts the ORR activity with an area-specific resistance as low as 0.12 and 0.18 Ω cm2 at 600 °C, which show the highest performance of the cobalt-free single-phase cathode that has been ever reported so far. We also find that the chemical stability and tolerance of tested cathodes toward CO2 poisoning significantly improved with alkali carbonates, as compared to the pristine SrFe0.8Nb0.1Ta0.1O3-δ (SFNT) at 600 °C. This work demonstrates the conclusive role of alkali carbonates in developing highly efficient and stable cobalt-free cathodes for LT-SOFCs and CO2 neutralization.

Synthesis and Performance Tuning of Sm0.2Ce0.8O2−δ Electrolyte for Low Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Application

The charge transportation in the solid oxide fuel cell electrolyte, Sm0.2Ce0.8O2−δ (SDC); has been elucidated by using DC and AC measurements as a function of grain size at temperature 500°C. Initially, chemically homogeneous pellets of SDC were prepared using its powder synthesized by oxalate co-precipitation method and then mean crystallite-size of the SDC samples was varied by adjusting the sintering temperature. The mean crystallite-size was calculated from x-ray diffraction data by using the Debye–Scherrer equation. Further, the samples were examined for their crystal structure, crystallite-size and chemical homogeneity. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to understand electrical properties of the samples and its correlation with crystallite-size was revealed. SDC samples having larger crystallites exhibited higher electrical conductivity by providing a number of mobile oxygen ions for conduction. However, a lesser number of oxygen ion vacancies across crystallite-boundaries become a hurdle for oxygen migration through samples having small crystallite-size.

Strain Effects on Oxygen Reduction Activity of Pr2NiO4 Caused by Gold Bulk Dispersion for Low Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Effects of tensile strain induced by the dispersion of Au nanoparticles in Pr2NiO4-based oxide on the oxygen reduction reaction were investigated. Au-dispersed Pr1.9Ni0.71Cu0.41Ga0.05O4+δ (PNCG) showed a much decreased cathodic overpotential, and a cell using Au-dispersed PNCG showed a significantly higher power density, approximately 2.5 times higher than that of a cell using PNCG without dispersed Au. The smallest overpotential was achieved at 3–5 mol % dispersion of Au nanoparticles, at which the largest tensile strain was observed. Impedance measurements suggested that the impedance arc in the lower frequency range was mainly decreased; therefore, the increased activity to oxygen reduction was attributed to the increased bulk and surface diffusivity of oxide ions. Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) shows that oxygen in the strained region was in a more reduced state and this oxygen could be assigned to interstitial oxygen which is highly mobile. In addition, density functional theory (DFT) analy...

Enhanced Thermal Stability of Ultrathin Nanostructured Pt cathode by PdO: In Situ Nanodecoration for Low-Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

Due to its high surface area and catalytic activity, the nanostructure of platinum significantly enhances the electrochemical reactions of electrodes. However, the inherently poor thermomechanical stability of the nanostructure has been a critical issue. This study suggests a simple method of using a Pd layer deposited by sputtering to enhance the stability of the 20 nm thick nanoporous Pt. The microstructural analysis reveals that the Pd films are partially oxidized at operating temperature to nano-polycrystalline Pd formed around Pt particles and inhibiting the mobility of the Pt grains. By preserving the Pt nanostructure, the degradation rate of the Pt–Pd cathode structure is 10 times lower than that of the Pt cathode.

Properties of BSCF-SDC Composite Cathode Powder for Low Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

Barium strontium cobalt ferrite (BSCF) demonstrates properties, such as ionic conductivity, superconductivity, ferroelectricity, and magnetic resistance. Thus, BSCF has been reported as an impressive and effective cathode material in terms of high conductivity, excellent oxygen transport, catalytic activity and a potential candidate for a low-temperature solid oxide fuel cell (LT-SOFC). In this study, the nanocomposite cathode BSCF–samarium-doped ceria (SDC) was developed for LT-SOFC, and the behavior of the nanoceramic powders was examined. The BSCF–SDC composite cathode powders were mixed through the high-energy ball-milling process at 550 rpm for 2 h. The powders were then calcined at 900 °C and 950 °C for 2 h. The composite cathode powders were characterized based on morphology and grain size by using field emission scanning electron microscope and ImageJ software. The element analysis, chemical bonding, and thermal properties of each sample were studied using X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive spectroscopy respectively. Based on the result obtain, secondary phase has triggered after through milling process and gradually increase when the calcination temperature has increase. It also found that the size of particles become easily agglomerated and bigger at increased of calcination temperature. For particles distribution all major element in composite cathode has uniformly and homogeneous. Results of this study confirm that selecting a suitable calcination temperature is important in eliminating secondary phases in the BSCF–SDC composite cathode and enhancing its properties.

Preparation and Property of LSGM-Carbonate Composite Electrolyte for Low Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

The LSGM-carbonate composite electrolyte is a new type of medium and low temperature SOFC electrolyte material, which has great application potential. In this paper, the molten salt infiltration method was used to prepare the LSGM-carbonate composite electrolyte. The results of SEM test proved that the molten salt infiltration method was more appropriate in preparing the LSGM-carbonate composite electrolyte comparing with direct mixing method. The influence of the type and content of pore forming agent was investigated. The result showed that the polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) had an excellent pore forming performance and could create interconnected pore structures successfully in LSGM matrix. The XRD result indicated that the LSGM-carbonate composite electrolyte showed almost a single LSGM phase and the carbonate remained glass state. Four terminal method was used to measure the conductivity. The result showed that the conductivity of the LSGM-carbonate composite electrolytes was increased by one order of magnitude compared with pure LSGM. The conductivity of LSGM-carbonate composite electrolytes increased firstly and then decreased with the increasing of PMMA. The LSGM-carbonate composite electrolyte prepared by 25 wt.% PMMA addition has the highest conductivity during the whole range of test temperature and reached 0.3 S.cm-1 at 600°C.

Semiconducting-Ionic Conductor As A New Generation Electrolyte Membrane For Low-Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Semiconducting-Ionic Conductor As A New Generation Electrolyte Membrane For Low-Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

High Performance Low Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells with Alkali Metal Carbonate Additives in Co-Doped Ceria Electrolyte

Doped ceria-carbonates composites are a new class of electrolytes for low temperature solid oxide fuel cells, these show very high ionic conductivity due to fast interfacial transport [1-2]. As reported by Chockalingum and Basu [3], 25 wt% (LiNa)2CO3-GDC electrolyte exibited an ionic conductivity of 0.17 S cm−1 at 550 °C and lowest activation energy of 0.127 eV in the temperature range 550–800 °C. To further improve the ionic conductivity, a series of calcium gadolinium/neodymium/samarium co-doped cerium oxide, M0.2CaxCe0.8-xO2 (x = 0.01 to x = 0.1) (M= Gd, Nd, Sm) have been synthesised by solgel method. The electrolytes have been physically and electrochemically characterized with respect to their thermal behaviour, phase, microstructure, elemental analysis and electrochemical performance using thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy respectively. The particle size of as synthesized electrolyte powders is ~ 20 nm as observed from the TEM. XRD results of the prepared electrolytes show that the powders are phase pure. The gadolinium calcium co-doped ceria lithium sodium carbonate (25% (LiNa)2CO3-Gd0.2Ca0.05Ce0.75O2) composite electrolytes exhibit high ionic conductivity (0.3 Scm-1 at 650°C), as it combines both the advantages of co-doping and the composite effect. Co-doped composite electrolytes show higher conductivity and stability due to the presence of calcium than the previously investigated composite electrolytes of (LiNa)2CO3-GDC [4, 5].

Zirconia Doped Ceria Cathodic Interlayer By Atomic Layer Deposition for Low Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) has the advantages of high energy conversion efficiency, fuel flexibility, and environment friendliness. However, conventional SOFC also has limitations in applying to various fields due to the high operating temperature of 800-1000℃. Therefore, low temperature SOFC (LT-SOFC) (≤ 500 ℃), which can be operated at relatively low temperature, are being widely researched these days. Operation losses of LT-SOFCs, however, have to be minimized to maintain the performance even at low temperature; especially, at low temperature, the activation loss at cathode is the dominant loss due to sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The adoption of cathode interlayer such as doped ceria has been researched as an effective method to dramatically lower the cathodic activation loss in LT-SOFCs. In this study, we used zirconia-ceria composite cathodic interlayer fabricated by atomic layer deposition (ALD) to improve the performance of SOFC at low temperature. Ceria-based materials with high oxygen ion conductivity and high oxygen surface exchange coefficient at relatively low temperatures have been widely used as cathodic interlayers for LT-SOFCs, but the relatively low chemical stability has been the practical issue. Zirconia doped ceria (ZDC), on the contrary, is known to have better catalytic properties than pure ceria with even improved chemical stability. We show that the performance of LT-SOFC can be significantly enhanced by using ZDC as cathodic interlayer. The ZDC interlayer was deposited on the cathode side surface of yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte using ALD. ALD is beneficial in depositing ultra-thin film with the capability to precisely control the composition and the thickness of films. Each interlayer of 20 nm-in-thickness was deposited with different ratios of zirconia and ceria; the molar ratio of zirconia was varied at 0, 30, 50, 80, and 100 mol%, respectively. The composition of the interlayer was analyzed by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and the electrochemical performance was measured at 450℃ by using current-voltage characterization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The maximum power density of the cell with the ZDC interlayer improved by 50% compared to that of the reference cell without the interlayer, which is even higher those of the cells with zirconia-only or ceria-only interlayers. In addition, the activation resistance of the cell with ZDC was decreased by ~50% in comparison with the cell without interlayers as shown in EIS measurements.

Development of Nano-Structured and Nano-Porous BSCF Cathode for Low Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Application

ABSTRACTNano-structured and nano-porous mixed ionic and electronic conducting Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3–δ (BSCF) cathodes with an average grain size ∼500 nm and porosity ≤30% were processed from sol-gel method using metal organic precursors and calcined at 950°C for 5 h followed by sintering at 1000°C for 3 h. Crystallization of the powder was analyzed by X-ray diffraction and found to be dependent on calcination temperature. The calcined powder was compacted into circular discs and sintered between 1000° and 1100°C to achieve the desired porosity. Scanning electron microscopy showed porous BSCF structure, facilitating gas transfer and maximizing the number of active sites for oxygen reduction reaction at the cathode of a solid oxide fuel cell. BSCF powder was made into paste and screen printed on Ce0.8Gd0.2O2–δ (GDC) electrolyte to form a symmetric cell. Thickness of the BSCF cathode film is around 4 µm. Area specific polarization resistance was measured in a broad range of temperature (300°-700°C) at the frequency range from 10 MHz to 0.1 Hz. Impedance measurements show that area-specific resistance for the symmetric cell with BSCF cathode is 1.74 Ω-cm2 at 600°C. These results are impressive and demonstrate the potential of BSCF to be used as cathode material in new-generation SOFCs with GDC as the electrolyte.

Effect of Alkali Carbonates (Single, Binary, and Ternary) on Doped Ceria: A Composite Electrolyte for Low-Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells.

Samarium-doped ceria (SDC) carbonate has become an attractive electrolyte for fuel cells because of its remarkable ion conductivity and high performance. Different doped ceria-carbonate (single-carbonate SDC, binary-carbonate SDC, and ternary-carbonate SDC) electrolytes were synthesized by the coprecipitation/oxalate method, to optimize the electrochemical performance. The structure; morphology; and thermal, optical, and surface properties have been studied using a variety of techniques. The X-ray diffraction results confirmed the successful incorporation of samarium into ceria as a crystalline structure and inclusion of carbonate, which is amorphous in nature. To analyze the conduction mechanism, direct current conductivity was measured in a H2/O2 atmosphere. Doped ceria-binary carbonate ((Li/Na)CO3-SDC) showed the best conductivity of 0.31 S cm-1 and power density of 617 mW cm-2, at 600 °C. The enhancement in the ionic conductivity and performance of the composites is due to the contribution of hybrid ions (O2-, H+). The crystallite size of the composites was in the range 21-41 nm. For the calculation of band gaps, optical absorption spectra of the synthesized powders were analyzed, and they showed a red shift with the band gap energy in the range 2.6-3.01 eV, when compared to that of pure ceria (3.20 eV).

Study on Zinc Oxide-Based Electrolytes in Low-Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells.

Semiconducting-ionic conductors have been recently described as excellent electrolyte membranes for low-temperature operation solid oxide fuel cells (LT-SOFCs). In the present work, two new functional materials based on zinc oxide (ZnO)—a legacy material in semiconductors but exceptionally novel to solid state ionics—are developed as membranes in SOFCs for the first time. The proposed ZnO and ZnO-LCP (La/Pr doped CeO2) electrolytes are respectively sandwiched between two Ni0.8Co0.15Al0.05Li-oxide (NCAL) electrodes to construct fuel cell devices. The assembled ZnO fuel cell demonstrates encouraging power outputs of 158–482 mW cm−2 and high open circuit voltages (OCVs) of 1–1.06 V at 450–550 °C, while the ZnO-LCP cell delivers significantly enhanced performance with maximum power density of 864 mW cm−2 and OCV of 1.07 V at 550 °C. The conductive properties of the materials are investigated. As a consequence, the ZnO electrolyte and ZnO-LCP composite exhibit extraordinary ionic conductivities of 0.09 and 0.156 S cm−1 at 550 °C, respectively, and the proton conductive behavior of ZnO is verified. Furthermore, performance enhancement of the ZnO-LCP cell is studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), which is found to be as a result of the significantly reduced grain boundary and electrode polarization resistances. These findings indicate that ZnO is a highly promising alternative semiconducting-ionic membrane to replace the electrolyte materials for advanced LT-SOFCs, which in turn provides a new strategic pathway for the future development of electrolytes.

An efficient Sm and Ge co-doped ceria nanocomposite electrolyte for low temperature solid oxide fuel cells

In this study we present a new nanocomposite electrolyte based on samarium (Sm) and germanium (Ge) co-doped ceria Ce0.7Sm0.15Ge0.15O2-δ (SGeDC). The nanocomposite electrolyte was prepared using co-precipitation method. The crystal structure and surface morphology were determined using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. Four probe dc conductivity indicated the value of 0.074S/cm at 650°C. The Fuel cell performance was carried out using hydrogen as fuel. The maximum OCV observed was 0.95V while the peak power density came out to be 600mW/cm2 at 600°C. It is suggested that adding Ge, the conductivity as well as performance of this new nanocomposite electrolyte is comparatively enhanced and it can find potential applications in low temperature solid oxide Fuel cells (LTSOFCs).

Sputtered Nanoporous PtNi Thin Film Cathodes with Improved Thermal Stability for Low Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Nanoporous PtNi alloy thin film was demonstrated to effectively improve the thermal stability of cathode under high temperature fuel cell operation. The grain growth, which indicates the agglomeration of the nanoparticles, were constrained, as observed by comparing the surface morphologies and grain sizes in bulk of film between pure Pt and PtNi alloy cathodes. The constrained grain growth by alloying with Ni maintained the porosity in bulk of cathode film for sufficient cathode oxygen diffusion and adsorption/dissociation processes. Fuel cell using Pt67-Ni33 cathode better maintained the output current density than the cell using pure Pt cathode by 26% after 48hours of continuous operation.

An Efficient Ge and Sm Co-Doped Ceria Nanocomposite Electrolyte for Low Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Electrochemical studies of Fuel cell with different composite electrolyte In this paper, three composite electrolytes (Ce0.8Sm0.2O1.9/Na2CO3) SDC, (Ce0.8Gd0.2O1.9/Na2CO3) GDC and (La0.8Sr0.2Ga0.8Mg0.2O3−δ/Na2CO3)LSGM nanocomposite electrolytes have been studied, also see the effect of Na2CO3, present as second phase, and effect of Ni support, sintering and pressure for dry pressing for fuel cell performance. The electrolytes were prepared through co-precipitation method. Different techniques were used to characterize the prepared electrolytes. The crystal structures were determined using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and structural morphologies were analyzed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The four probe dc conductivity and two probe AC impedance analysis were carried out in open air. The fuel cell performance was determined with and without Nickel support on anode side which resulted in a considerable difference in obtained peak power densities. It is suggested that prepared electrolytes can find potential applications in low temperatures Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (LT-SOFCs). Key words: nanocomposite, LTSOFCs, Crystal structure, SDC, Sintering