Tuning Cu-Content La1-xSrxNi1-yCuyO3-δ with Strontium Doping as Cobalt-Free Cathode Materials for High-Performance Anode-Supported IT-SOFCs

Jakub Lach; Kun Zheng; Ryszard Kluczowski; Anna Niemczyk; Hailei Zhao; Min Chen

doi:10.3390/ma15248737

Tuning Cu-Content La_1-xSr_xNi_1-yCu_yO_3-δ with Strontium Doping as Cobalt-Free Cathode Materials for High-Performance Anode-Supported IT-SOFCs

Materials (Basel). 2022 Dec 7;15(24):8737. doi: 10.3390/ma15248737.

Authors

Jakub Lach¹, Kun Zheng^{1

2}, Ryszard Kluczowski^{3

4}, Anna Niemczyk^{4

5}, Hailei Zhao^{6

7}, Min Chen⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Hydrogen Energy, Faculty of Energy and Fuels, AGH University of Science and Technology, al. A. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland.
² AGH Centre of Energy, AGH University of Science and Technology, ul. Czarnowiejska 36, 30-054 Krakow, Poland.
³ Ceramic Department CEREL, Institute of Power Engineering, Techniczna 1, 36-040 Boguchwala, Poland.
⁴ Institute of Power Engineering, Mory 8, 01-330 Warsaw, Poland.
⁵ Center for Hydrogen Technologies (CTH2), Institute of Power Engineering, Augustowka 36, 02-981 Warsaw, Poland.
⁶ School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China.
⁷ Beijing Key Lab. of New Energy Materials and Technology, Beijing 100083, China.
⁸ School of Materials Science and Energy Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, China.

Abstract

Cu-content La_1-xSr_xNi_1-yCu_yO_3-δ perovskites with A-site strontium doping have been tuned as cobalt-free cathode materials for high-performance anode-supported SOFCs, working at an intermediate-temperature range. All obtained oxides belong to the R-3c trigonal system, and phase transitions from the R-3c space group to a Pm-3m simple perovskite have been observed by HT-XRD studies. The substitution of lanthanum with strontium lowers the phase transition temperature, while increasing the thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) and oxygen non-stoichiometry δ of the studied materials. The thermal expansion is anisotropic, and TEC values are similar to commonly used solid electrolytes (e.g., 14.1 × 10^-6 K^-1 for La_0.95Sr_0.05Ni_0.5Cu_0.5O_3-δ). The oxygen content of investigated compounds has been determined as a function of temperature. All studied materials are chemically compatible with GDC-10 but react with LSGM and 8YSZ electrolytes. The anode-supported SOFC with a La_0.95Sr_0.05Ni_0.5Cu_0.5O_3-δ cathode presents an excellent power density of 445 mW·cm^-2 at 650 °C in humidified H₂. The results indicate that La_1-xSr_xNi_1-yCu_yO_3-δ perovskites with strontium doping at the A-site can be qualified as promising cathode candidates for anode-supported SOFCs, yielding promising electrochemical performance in the intermediate-temperature range.

Keywords: Cu-rich perovskites; Sr doping in (LaSr)(NiCu)O3; anode-supported SOFCs; cathode materials; intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells.

Grants and funding

UMO-2020/37/B/ST8/02097/National Science Centre, Poland