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Facile and low-temperature synthesis approach to fabricate Sm0.5Sr0.5CoO3−δ cathode material for solid oxide fuel cell

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Abstract

Herein, we report a facilely synthesized Sm0.5Sr0.5CoO3 (SSC) nano-catalyst as a cathode material for the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). The SSC nano-catalyst was synthesized by a sol–gel process using citric acid and metal nitrates and calcination was performed at a relatively low temperature of 1250 ℃. The crystallinity and morphology of the catalyst were observed by the X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope. The average particle size of the SSC powder was 100 nm after calcination at 1250 °C. The resulting SSC material was employed as a cathode for the SOFC. The SOFC cell with highly active SSC showed a peak power density of 900 mWcm−2 at 700 °C. The single cell with an SSC cathode showed excellent stability under the accelerated operating conditions of 0.5A/cm2 and 650 °C for 1250 min. The cell performance was enhanced during the initial hours of the long-term operation which is attributed to the cathode activation process and improved cathode/buffer layer interface contact. This work features a cost-effective, scalable, and reproducible method for the production of highly robust SSC cathode material for the SOFC under relatively low calcination temperatures.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the technical resources and lab facilities from the Pak-Austria Fachhochschule: Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology, Haripur, Pakistan, and Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea. The authors are thankful to Dr. Rizwan Raza and Muhammad Measam Ali for their support and valuable suggestions in this work.

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  1. Sheraz Ahmed and Wajahat Waheed Kazmi have contributed equally.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology (SAINT), Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, South Korea

    Sheraz Ahmed

  2. Korea Institute of Energy Research, 152 Gajeong-Ro, Yuseong-Gu, Daejeon, 34129, South Korea

    Wajahat Waheed Kazmi, Amjad Hussain, Rak Hyun Song & Abid Ullah

  3. University of Science and Technology (UST), 217 Gajeong-Ro Yuseong-Gu, Daejeon, 34113, South Korea

    Wajahat Waheed Kazmi, Amjad Hussain, Rak Hyun Song & Abid Ullah

  4. Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Pak-Austria Fachhochschule: Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology, Mang, Haripur, 22621, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

    Muhammad Zubair Khan & Saira Bibi

  5. School of Chemical and Materials Engineering (SCME) and School of Interdisciplinary Engineering & Sciences, National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), H-12, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan

    Mohsin Saleem

  6. Ocean Nexus Center, University of Washington, Box 355674, Seattle, WA, 98195-5674, USA

    Zaman Sajid

  7. School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, South Korea

    Muhammad Kashif Khan

  8. School of Mechanical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, South Korea

    Muhammad Kashif Khan

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  1. Sheraz Ahmed
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Ahmed, S., Kazmi, W.W., Hussain, A. et al. Facile and low-temperature synthesis approach to fabricate Sm0.5Sr0.5CoO3−δ cathode material for solid oxide fuel cell. J. Korean Ceram. Soc. 60, 272–282 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43207-022-00261-6

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