Electrophoretic Deposition and Characterization of the Doped BaCeO3 Barrier Layers on a Supporting Ce0.8Sm0.2O1.9 Solid-State Electrolyte

Elena Kalinina; Kirill Shubin; Elena Pikalova

doi:10.3390/membranes12030308

Electrophoretic Deposition and Characterization of the Doped BaCeO₃ Barrier Layers on a Supporting Ce_0.8Sm_0.2O_1.9 Solid-State Electrolyte

Membranes (Basel). 2022 Mar 9;12(3):308. doi: 10.3390/membranes12030308.

Authors

Elena Kalinina^{1

2}, Kirill Shubin³, Elena Pikalova^{1

3

4}

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Complex Electrophysic Investigations, Institute of Electrophysics, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 620016 Yekaterinburg, Russia.
² Department of Physical and Inorganic Chemistry, Institute of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Ural Federal University, 620002 Yekaterinburg, Russia.
³ Laboratory of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, Institute of High Temperature Electrochemistry, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 620137 Yekaterinburg, Russia.
⁴ Department of Environmental Economics, Institute of Economics and Management, Ural Federal University, 620002 Yekaterinburg, Russia.

Abstract

In this study, the technology of electrophoretic deposition (EPD) micrometer barrier layers based on a BaCe_0.8Sm_0.19Cu_0.1O₃ (BCSCuO) protonic conductor on dense carrying Ce_0.8Sm_0.2O_1.9 (SDC) solid-state electrolyte substrates is developed. Methods for creating conductive sublayers on non-conductive SDC substrates under EPD conditions, such as the synthesis of a conductive polypyrrole (PPy) layer and deposition of a layer of finely dispersed platinum from a suspension of its powder in isopropanol, are proposed. The kinetics of disaggregation, disperse composition, electrokinetic potential, and the effect of adding iodine to the BCSCuO suspension on these parameters as factors determining the preparation of stable suspensions and successful EPD processes are explored. Button cells based on a carrying SDC electrolyte of 550 μm in thickness with BCSCuO layers (8-35 μm) on the anode, cathode, and anode/cathode side, and Pt electrodes are electrochemically tested. It was found that the effect of blocking the electronic current in the SDC substrate under OCV conditions was maximal for the cells with barrier layers deposited on the anode side. The technology developed in this study can be used to fabricate solid oxide fuel cells with doped CeO₂ electrolyte membranes characterized by mixed ionic-electronic conductivity (MIEC) under reducing atmospheres.

Keywords: MIEC electrolyte; barrier layer; conducting polymer; deposition kinetics; doped BaCeO3; electrophoretic deposition.

Grants and funding

22-23-00066/Russian Science Foundation