Oxygen Diffusion Research Articles

Industrial-scale needle-less electrospinning of tetracycline-immobilized nanofibrous scaffolds using a polycaprolactone/polyethylene oxide/chitosan blend for wound healing

Nanofibrous scaffolds offer significant promise for wound healing due to their ability to absorb exudates, prevent microbial contamination, and enhance oxygen diffusion. However, challenges remain in fully realizing their clinical potential, as previous research has primarily focused on scaffolds made of two polymers or those encapsulating therapeutic agents within nanofibers. Additionally, scaling up fabrication while maintaining functionality presents a significant challenge. This study introduces a novel type of nanofibrous scaffold, combining poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO), poly (caprolactone) (PCL), and chitosan (CS) in various mass ratios, electrospun using Nanospider™ technology. The scaffolds featured fiber diameters ranging from 134 ± 37 to 148 ± 38 nm and exhibit high gram-per-square-meter values between 6.8 and 8.6 g/m2. An optimal balance of hydrophilicity was achieved, and the scaffolds demonstrated superior breathability with moisture vapor transmission rates ranging from 1904.3 ± 28.6 to 2005.7 ± 42.9 g/m2/day, outperforming commercial wound dressings. Additionally, a wide range of hydrolytic degradation rates (3.8 ± 1% to 73.2 ± 0.8%), elongation at fracture (21% to 0.8%), and Young’s modulus (106.7 ± 8.5 MPa to 170.7 ± 11.9 MPa) were observed. Surface-immobilized tetracycline (TET) significantly enhanced antibacterial efficacy, with inhibition zones exceeding 20 mm against Escherichia coli. Our findings confirm that scaffold properties can be effectively tailored by adjusting the PEO/PCL ratio, advancing customization for wound care. Post-fabrication soaking in TET solutions further boosts antibacterial performance and allows for tailored post-production adjustments. Compared to existing studies, this approach simplifies customization and improves the practicality of wound care solutions.

Phase-field simulation of high-temperature corrosion of binary Zr-2.5Sn alloy

Due to the small neutron absorption cross section and excellent thermal creep performance, zirconium alloy is one of the most important cladding materials for fuel rods in commercial fission reactors. However, quantitative analysis of the effects of temperature and grain boundaries on the corrosion microstructure evolution of zirconium alloys is still needed. The establishing of a phase field simulation for the corrosion process of polycrystalline zirconium alloy and the systematical investigating of the thermodynamic influence are both very important. In this study, the phase field model of the corrosion process in zirconium alloys is developed by combining corrosion electrochemistry through calculating the interfacial energy at the metal-oxide and oxide-fluid boundaries. Then the model is used to investigate the uniform corrosion behavior on the surface of Zr-2.5Sn alloy, which demonstrates that the corrosion kinetic curve follows a cubic rule. Subsequently, the influence of temperature on the corrosion thickening curve of zirconium alloy is examined, and good agreement between simulation and experimental results is achieved. It is observed that during early stage of oxide layer formation, there is a high growth rate with minimal temperature dependence; however, as the oxide layer thickness increases, temperature becomes a significant factor affecting its growth rate, with higher temperatures resulting in faster corrosion rates. Furthermore, the effect of polycrystalline zirconium alloy matrices on corrosion rate is investigated, revealing that the grain boundaries accelerate oxide layer thickening due to enhanced oxygen diffusion rates. At metal-oxide interface, O<sup>2–</sup> bands are formed in areas with higher O<sup>2–</sup> concentration along these grain boundaries towards the metal matrix, which mainly influences oxidation-corrosion rate during the initial oxidation stage.

Insight into oxygen diffusion mechanism in ionomer film on catalyst surface with varying perfluorosulfonic acid and water contents

Classic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to explore the effects of perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) polymers and water content on the nanostructures of ionomer film on Pt/C surfaces and the corresponding oxygen diffusion mechanisms.

A technique to map oxygen diffusivity in fruit and vegetable organs

A technique to map oxygen diffusivity in fruit and vegetable organs

Key Biophysical and Physiological Properties Impacting the Oxygenation Status of Breast Cancers During Thermo-radiotherapy.

Mild hyperthermia at 39-43°C for 30-60 min is applied locoregionally to improve the oxygenation status of recurrent breast cancers, thus enhancing the efficacy of radio-, chemo-, and immunotherapy. In this context, estimated (or even conflicting) data are often used in computational modelling of tumour oxygenation and simulation of O2 transport. In this chapter, we present information that may help to improve adjuvant thermotherapy delivered immediately prior to radiotherapy of recurrent breast cancers. Data are preferentially derived from clinical investigations; in some cases, measurements in experimental breast cancers are included.The biophysical properties presented for healthy, mostly postmenopausal, human breast (composite glandular-adipose-fibrous tissue) measured under normothermic (NT) conditions and in therapeutically heated breast cancers include tissue water content and tissue density. In general, averaged values of parameters reported for NT conditions are higher in breast cancers than in normal breast tissue, i.e., all ratios breast cancer/normal breast are >1. Mean values observed in breast cancers during mild hyperthermia (mHT) are consistently higher than those in NT tumours. Parameters determining convective transports in healthy breast tissue and breast cancer include blood flow rates, blood volume, exchanging water space, arterio-venous shunt flow, interstitial fluid flow rate, interstitial fluid pressure, microvascular permeability, interstitial hydraulic conductivity, and interstitial flow velocity. In general, averaged values of parameters measured under NT conditions are higher in breast cancers than in healthy breast. Except for interstitial fluid pressure, these values increase upon mHT treatment of cancers. Prime factors determining and describing the oxygenation status of the healthy breast, and in NT- versus mHT-treated breast cancers, include: oxygen (O2) delivery rates, O2- extractions, O2- consumption rates, subepidermal microvascular HbO2, tissue oxygen solubility, oxygen diffusion coefficients, mean O2 partial pressures pO2, hypoxic fractions HF<5mmHg, oxygen enhancement ratio, and mitochondrial ROS production. With the exception of the mean pO2, O2 extraction rate and tissue O2 saturation all parameters listed are distinctly higher in breast cancers under NT conditions compared to normal breast. Mild hyperthermia results in therapeutically relevant improvements of the oxygenation status of cancers and enhances mitochondrial ROS production, thus improving radiosensitivity. Note: The oxygenation status of the healthy (postmenopausal) breast is very similar to that of the normal human subcutis.

Substance P - a regulatory peptide with defense and repair functions. Results and perspectives for the fight against COVID-19.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS CoV-2) is the cause of Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which turned into a pandemic in late 2019 and early 2020. SARS CoV-2 causes endothelial cell destruction and swelling, microthrombosis, constriction of capillaries, and malfunction of pericytes, all of which are detrimental to capillary integrity, angiogenesis, and healing processes. Cytokine storming has been connected to COVID-19 disease. Hypoxemia and tissue hypoxia may arise from impaired oxygen diffusion exchange in the lungs due to capillary damage and congestion. This personal view will look at how inflammation and capillary damage affect blood and tissue oxygenation, cognitive function, and the duration and intensity of COVID-19 disease. The general effects of microvascular injury, hypoxia, and capillary damage caused by COVID-19 in key organs are also covered in this point of view. Once initiated, this vicious cycle leads to diminished capillary function, which exacerbates inflammation and tissue damage, and increased inflammation due to hypoxia. Brain damage may result from low oxygen levels and high cytokines in brain tissue. In this paper we give a summary in this direction with focus on the role of the neuropeptide Substance P. On the basis of this, we discuss selected approaches to the question: "How Substance P is involved in the etiology of the COVID-19 and how results of our research could improve the prevention or therapy of corona? Thereby pointing out the role of Substance P in the post-corona syndrome and providing novel concepts for therapy and prevention.

Effect of oxidation treatment on structural characteristics and combustion behavior of residual carbon from coal gasification fine slag

Improving the combustion reactivity of residual carbon (RC) is an important prerequisite for effective combustion of coal gasification fine slag (CGFS). This study investigates the oxidation of RC using air and CO2. Compared to raw RC, the oxidation process results in a lower burnout temperature of oxidized RC, and reduced combustion time. Additionally, RC oxidized by CO2 shows better combustion performance than that oxidized by air. The enhanced combustion performance of oxidized RC primarily stems from structural modification. The combustion behavior of oxidized RC is jointly determined by its carbon microstructure, functional groups, and pore structure, with pore structure being the predominant factor. Furthermore, increasing the oxidation temperature facilitates the formation of small-sized pore structures on the surface of the oxidized RC, which promote the oxygen diffusion and the heat transfer during combustion. However, the pore collapse caused by excessive oxidation inhibits the combustion performance of the corresponding oxidized RC.

Improving the flame retardancy of furfurylated wood by introducing DOPO

Poor dimensional stability, sensitivity to microorganisms, and flammability restrict the application of wood in certain areas where these properties are critical. Although furfurylation can improve the physical and mechanical properties of wood, the heat and smoke release of furfurylated wood during combustion are dramatic and need to be addressed. As a kind of halogen-free phosphorus flame retardant, 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO) and its derivatives exhibit excellent performance in polymer composites. In this study, DOPO was dissolved in furfuryl alcohol (FA) and used to modify wood. The effect of DOPO on the thermal stability, combustion behavior, and physical and mechanical properties of furfurylated wood was investigated. The chemical structure, morphology, and char residue after combustion were also characterized. The studies show that DOPO can react with the FA polymer and is incorporated and homogeneously dispersed in the wood structure. Compared to untreated wood, furfurylated wood has a much higher heat and smoke release during combustion. The addition of DOPO remarkably reduces the heat release of furfurylated wood, and this effect increases as the amount of DOPO increases. When the amount of introduced DOPO of furfurylated wood is 7%, its total heat release is reduced by 37.4% and becomes comparable to the untreated wood. However, DOPO does not suppress smoke production effectively. DOPO improves the thermal stability of furfurylated wood by promoting char formation and inhibiting the diffusion of oxygen and the escape of pyrolysis products. The addition of DOPO has little effect on the physical and mechanical properties of furfurylated wood. The results indicate that the combination of DOPO and furfurylation could be an efficient way to prepare highly stable and fire-resistant wood materials.

Fluorine enables h-BN sheet to resist oxidizing failures in sulfur atmosphere

Corrosion is one of the most common ways in which metal components are damaged, especially under extreme conditions in the presence of sulfide ions. Due to the excellent properties of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) sheets, they can provide effective protection for facilities exposed to sulfur-containing atmospheres. In this paper, the thermodynamic and kinetic behavior of oxygen adsorbed on h-BN and defective D-h-BN sheets in a sulfur-containing atmosphere were performed by first-principles calculations. The adsorption energies, densities of state, band structures, differential charge densities and diffusion energy barriers were systematically investigated. The presence of sulfur reduces the diffusion energy barrier of oxygen, which accelerates the oxidative failure of h-BN sheets. Surprisingly, the F-modified h-BN sheet possesses a higher oxygen diffusion energy barrier, which explains its superior oxidation resistance. Therefore, h-BN sheets are a promising candidate as a protective material in sulfur-containing atmospheres.

Wastewater treatment with microalgal-bacterial aggregates: The tradeoff between energy savings and footprint requirements

Microalgal-bacterial aggregates (MBAs) have recently attracted significant attention as a potential replacement for conventional, suspended-growth wastewater treatment processes. This article evaluates MBAs for full-scale implementation from the perspective of oxygen supply, land use, and energy savings. The results suggest that under ideal conditions, photosynthesis and atmospheric diffusion would provide at most only 2.7% of the oxygen demand in a conventionally designed, nitrifying activated sludge process, which is equivalent to approximately 1.5% of typical treatment plant-wide energy requirements. The results also suggest that a wastewater treatment process using MBAs and relying on solar photosynthesis and atmospheric diffusion for oxygen would have nearly the same footprint as an equivalent well-mixed wastewater treatment pond. While photosynthesis and passive atmospheric diffusion are capable of providing significant oxygen for suspended-growth wastewater treatment processes, the tradeoffs between footprint requirements and energy savings should be carefully considered.

Planar light induced fluorescence quenching oxygen diffusivity measurement near the gas–liquid interface in aqueous glycerol and aqueous propylene glycol

Experimental diffusivity data for gases in liquid mixtures are still scarce. To measure the diffusivity of dissolved oxygen in aqueous solutions of glycerol and propylene glycol, a planar light induced fluorescence (PLIF) method has been employed. The experimental method developed allows the measurement of the concentration field near the gas–liquid interface. The results show an increased oxygen diffusivity for the aqueous glycerol solution compared to the aqueous propylene glycol solution, corresponding to the lower viscosity of the solvent. Interestingly, during the first few seconds of oxygen absorption, a reduced early diffusivity is found for both experiments compared to later times. The results are compared with selected correlations and available experimental values. In general, the results are in good agreement with the literature data found and the discrepancy between early and later diffusivity is discussed.

Cyclic Oxidation Kinetics and Thermal Stress Evolution of TiAl Alloys at High Temperature

The oxidation resistance of TiAl alloys is crucial for their commercial application. In this paper, a cyclic oxidation test with stable air circulation was designed to investigate the cyclic oxidation behavior of the TNM alloy and 4822 alloy at 800 °C and to analyze the phase, morphology, and thermal stress evolution of the oxide layer. The oxidation weight gain curves of both alloys are found to be in parabolic form, and the oxidation reaction orders of the TNM alloy and 4822 alloy are 2.374 and 1.838, respectively. The Nb and Mo elements enhance the antioxidant performance of the TNM alloy by inhibiting the dissolution and diffusion of oxygen, Ti, and Al atoms in the TiAl alloy. The thermal stress evolution of the two alloys during the heating and cooling phases of the cyclic oxidation process are calculated separately, and it is found that the thermal stresses in the TNM alloy are smaller than those in the 4822 alloy, while the maximum thermal stresses appear at the oxide/substrate interface rather than inside the oxide scale, which quantitatively explains the oxidation peeling resistance of the two alloys.

Pressure-induced one-dimensional oxygen ion diffusion channel in lead apatite

Pressure-induced one-dimensional oxygen ion diffusion channel in lead apatite

The Role of Apoptosis and Oxidative Stress in a Cell Spheroid Model of Calcific Aortic Valve Disease.

Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is the most common heart valve disease among aging populations. There are two reported pathways of CAVD: osteogenic and dystrophic, the latter being more prevalent. Current two-dimensional (2D) in vitro CAVD models have shed light on the disease but lack three-dimensional (3D) cell-ECM interactions, and current 3D models require osteogenic media to induce calcification. The goal of this work is to develop a 3D dystrophic calcification model. We hypothesize that, as with 2D cell-based CAVD models, programmed cell death (apoptosis) is integral to calcification. We model the cell aggregation observed in CAVD by creating porcine valvular interstitial cell spheroids in agarose microwells. Upon culture in complete growth media (DMEM with serum), calcium nodules form in the spheroids within a few days. Inhibiting apoptosis with Z-VAD significantly reduced calcification, indicating that the calcification observed in this model is dystrophic rather than osteogenic. To determine the relative roles of oxidative stress and extracellular matrix (ECM) production in the induction of apoptosis and subsequent calcification, the media was supplemented with antioxidants with differing effects on ECM formation (ascorbic acid (AA), Trolox, or Methionine). All three antioxidants significantly reduced calcification as measured by Von Kossa staining, with the percentages of calcification per area of AA, Trolox, Methionine, and the non-antioxidant-treated control on day 7 equaling 0.17%, 2.5%, 6.0%, and 7.7%, respectively. As ZVAD and AA almost entirely inhibit calcification, apoptosis does not appear to be caused by a lack of diffusion of oxygen and metabolites within the small spheroids. Further, the observation that AA treatment reduces calcification significantly more than the other antioxidants indicates that the ECM stimulatory effect of AA plays a role inhibiting apoptosis and calcification in the spheroids. We conclude that, in this 3D in vitro model, both oxidative stress and ECM production play crucial roles in dystrophic calcification and may be viable therapeutic targets for preventing CAVD.

Corrosion mechanism and microstructure evolution of yttrium-doped marine steel

The effects of Yttrium dosage and heat treatment process on the microstructure, inclusions, and corrosion resistance of marine steel, as well as the electrochemical parameters on corrosion behavior were studied in this work. The results show that Yttrium mainly exists in Yttrium oxide and Yttrium sulfide. In the process of the optimal heat treatment temperature (800°C-5h), the movement of grain boundaries is hindered by the nailing action of Y2O3, which makes the grain size refined. Yttrium can refine the corrosion products and improve the adhesion ability between the corrosion layer and the substrate, which can effectively improve the corrosion resistance of marine steel. The electrochemical parameters mainly affect the proportion and structure of α-FeOOH and α-Fe2O3 in the corrosion layer by affecting the ion diffusion rate or oxygen content, thus affecting the corrosion resistance property. With the increase of temperature, the diffusion coefficient of oxygen in solution increases, and the limiting current density also increases, which is not conducive to the formation of dense corrosion layer and will lead to faster corrosion speed.

Amorphous Carbon Monolayer: A Novel and Effective Interlayer for Metal/Oxide Interface

We investigate the effect of one-atom thick Amorphous Carbon Monolayer (ACM) as an interfacial layer (IL) for high-k/Ge MOS structure, with the aim of suppressing the dangling bonds on the Ge surface and reducing the interfacial defects between high-k oxide and Ge layers. The frequency-dependent C-V characteristics indicated that the ACM layer eliminates the weak inversion response resulting in a steeper C-V slope and an increase in accumulation capacitance. The G-V analysis further confirmed the lower density of interface traps in the ACM layered device. The Dit values were extracted as 1.2×10¹¹ cm⁻²eV⁻¹ for Al2O3/ACM/Ge structure, which is almost two orders of magnitude lower than that of the Al2O3/Ge structure without the ACM layer. The observed improvements are attributed to the effective blocking role of the ACM interlayer against the in-diffusion of oxygen and out-diffusion of Ge and the suppression of dangling bonds at the Ge surface. Our findings suggest that the Al2O3/ACM/Ge structure exhibits superior electrical quality with lower hysteresis and interface charge trapped density, which has important implications for the development of high-performance ultra-small-scale devices based on Ge substrates.

Peculiarities of interaction between oxygen and solute/vacancy in commercial-type zirconium-based alloys: A first-principles study

Unveiling the interaction between dissolved oxygen and solutes/vacancies during the initial stages of oxide layer formation at microscale is significant for the peculiarities of Zr-based alloys oxidation exposed in PWRs or LWRs. We perform ab-initio calculations of the diluted zirconium-based alloys with dissolved Nb and Sn solutes, vacancy and oxygen atom and discuss the solute-oxygen and vacancy-oxygen binding. Our analysis shows that with increasing content of Nb solutes the attractive interaction between niobium and oxygen becomes much stronger, which results in a decrease in corrosion rate of these alloys at the bre-breakaway regime caused by diffusion of oxygen. An increase in content of Sn in an alloy results in enforce of the repulsive interaction between Sn atom and oxygen, which causing tin-enriched alloys are characterized by an increased corrosion rate. We conclude that the dissolved oxygen can be localized near Nb atom rather than near Sn atom if both impurities are second-nearest neighbors, the dissolved oxygen can capture single vacancy and small vacancy clusters in zirconium matrix. This study provides a deep insight into the details of oxygen segregation in zirconium-based alloys exploited in nuclear-power plants.

Balancing proton and mass transfers in cathode catalyst layer of high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell via gradient porous structure design

The porous structure within the cathode catalyst layers (CLs) plays a crucial role in facilitating phosphoric acid (PA) invasion and oxygen diffusion, which was essential for establishing the triple-phase boundaries (TPBs) in high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs).In this work, a gradient porous structure is deliberately constructed within the cathode CL by carefully controlling the microstructures of the double CLs. The effects of pore diameter distribution in the cathode CL and PA content in the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) on the single cell performance of HT-PEMFC are systematically investigated. By incorporating an appropriate amount of PA in the MEA, along with the optimized gradient porous structure, the inner pores effectively stored acid and prevented its outward diffusion. Simultaneously, the pores in the outer CL provided additional pathways for oxygen transfer. Consequently, the optimized gradient porous structure enhanced the peak power density of H2/Air fuel cells to 0.510 W cm−2 at a Pt loading of 0.5 mgPt cm−2, a notable improvement compared to 0.396 W cm−2 of the traditional single CL. The mechanism analysis further reveals that the cathode CL with gradient porous structure can successfully balance proton transfer and mass transfer, hence reducing the polarizations in fuel cell.

(Digital Presentation) New Magnetron Sputtering Fabrication Process for Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3- δ Miec Thin Film Membranes on Porous Support for Oxygen Permeation Applications

Mixed ionic electronic conductor (MIEC) membranes provide a great route for introducing oxygen to combustion and reforming processes of new fuels such as green ammonia. Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3- δ (BSCF) is known to be one of the most widely utilized perovskite material applied as oxygen transport membrane, as it possesses elevated oxygen permeability up to 7 ml(STP)·min-1·cm-2 at a temperature range of 850-900°C. Application of thin MIEC films of thicknesses of around 500 nm – 5 µm allow for reduction of Ohmic resistance for transport processes and sufficient oxygen permeation at lower temperatures as compared to bulk membranes, which is of great advantage with regard to materials stability and quality of sealing. However, fabrication techniques of thin MIEC membranes staunchly influence their phase purity. Crystallinity, microstructure and correlated oxygen diffusion properties as well as stability of membrane-substrate interfaces. Physical vapour deposition (PVD) such as magnetron sputtering (MS) is successfully applied to produce a dense and pinhole-free membrane with thicknesses ranging from 100 nm nanometer to a few micrometers. Challenges due to large size porosity of the ceramic substrate were addressed by tuning of the substrate porosity, ensuring formation of a continues layer and stability of the thin membranes. In this work, we report on the influence of the MS process parameters, as well as subsequent annealing techniques of both thermal annealing (TA) and line beam Laser annealing (LA) on the microstructure of a fabricated asymmetric membrane (AsM) consisting of BSCF thin membrane on a BSCF support wit tunable pore sizes. Oxygen permeability of the AsM was investigated at high temperatures (850-900 °C). For a substrate pore size of around 3 µm, BSCF membrane thicknesses of 1 to 5 µm could be applied for fabrication of AsM, resulting in a 2-fold increase of oxygen permeability ~5 ml.min-1.cm-2 at a temperature of 900 °C as compared to a bulk BSCF support of ~2 mm thickness, whereas comparable oxygen permeation is already reached at a temperature of 700°C by the thin membrane. Contrariwise, the one with high porosity (~10 µm) required the deposition of thicker layers, which obstruct the oxygen diffusion and inhibited the permeation. The results have optimised sputtering process parameters, supports porosity and TA&/SLA parameters, are key factors for producing thin film membrane exhibiting high oxygen flux and good stability.

Facile and Low Temperature Synthesis of Nd1.8Sr0.2NiO4-δ Cathode Nanofibers for Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are usually operated at high temperatures (800-1000 °C). As the overall efficiency of SOFC is governed by thermodynamics and kinetics during operation, reducing the operating temperature to 500-650 °C causes significant increase in the electrode polarization losses especially at cathode due to high activation energy towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at cathode, which eventually reduces the overall cell performance. Addressing increased polarization losses at relatively low temperatures (500-650 °C) has been the key issue and a focus of many groups over past couple of decades. Conventional cathode materials lose their ORR activity and so discarded for intermediate temperature (IT)-SOFC application. In this regard, mixed ionic-electronic conductors (MIECs) offer high thermal and chemical stability along with high oxygen diffusion and good electronic conductivity at IT [1,2]. In addition, Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) type MIECs with A2BO4 structure have been demonstrated as promising cathode for IT- SOFCs due to their unique structure, rapid oxygen surface exchange kinetics, and excellent stability in atmosphere. Particularly Nd2NiO4+δ oxides offer an excellent oxygen diffusion coupled with high surface exchange coefficients and comparable thermal expansion coefficients with those of oxygen-ion conductors (YSZ and CGO) [2]. Enhanced electronic conductivity and electrochemical performance have been demonstrated for partial replacement of Nd with Sr in our previous reports [3].Albeit, the intrinsic material properties such as electrochemical catalytic activity and electrical conductivity are of primary importance, an actual electrode performance strongly depends on its microstructure. Therefore, in addition to using high catalytic and conductive materials, achieving an extremely high-power density, thus, requires a finely controlled electrode microstructure, to expand the electrochemically active triple-phase boundary (TPB). Recently, electrospinning has been considered as an efficient, cost effective and promising method for synthesis of ceramic nanofibers. Pertinent literature suggests that SOFC with cathode nanofiber has superior/better performance (nearly doubled power density and significant reduced polarization resistance) compared to powder type electrodes. Selection of suitable cathode materials with modified microstructure (nanofibers) would facilitate more electrochemically active sites for the oxygen reduction at relatively low temperatures <650 °C.In this paper we synthesized Nd1.8Sr0.2NiO4-δ (NSNO) cathode nanofibers using electrospinning technique and compared its electrochemical performance with NSNO nanopowder. Practically, 10 wt.% Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) solution was prepared by dissolving it in ethanol, to which stoichiometric amounts of Nd-nitrate, Sr-nitrate, Ni-nitrate (total weight percentage of metal salts- 3 wt%) were added, together with some deionized water. The mixture was then stirred for 10 h at room temperature on a magnetic stirrer to obtain a homogeneous sol. The sol was loaded into the electrospinning syringe. Distance between the spinneret and the collector was fixed at 25 cm and the high-voltage supply was maintained at 30 kV. The spinning rate was controlled at 5 ml h- 1 by a syringe pump. The obtained nanofibers were dried at 80 °C for 12 h, then sintered at 900 °C for 2 h in air to obtain single-phase NSNO.The obtained nanofibers were characterized using room temperature XRD, XPS, SEM and dc electrical conductivity (400-650 °C). In addition, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies on symmetric cells were carried out as a function of temperature (400-650 °C). Improved electrochemical performance is attributed to enhanced electrochemical active sites for ORR due to nanofibers and optimum porosity.