Influence of the La0.2Sr0.7Ti0.95Ni0.05O3 (LSTN) Synthesis Method on SOFC Anode Performance

• Published in: Catalysts Vol. 14; no. 1; p. 79
• Main Authors: Dahan, Moran, Fadeev, Ludmila, Hayun, Hagay, Gozin, Michael, Gelbstein, Yaniv, Rosen, Brian A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.01.2024
• Subjects: anode; Anodes; Chemical energy; co-precipitation; combustion; Coprecipitation; hydrothermal; Oxidation; Particle size; perovskite; Perovskite structure; Perovskites; Sintering; Sol-gel processes; solid oxide fuel cell; Solid oxide fuel cells; Solid state; Strontium titanates; Synthesis; Temperature; X ray photoelectron spectroscopy
• ISSN: 2073-4344; 2073-4344
• DOI: 10.3390/catal14010079

Solid oxide fuel cells are characterized by a high efficiency for converting chemical energy into electricity and fuel flexibility. This research work focuses on developing durable and efficient anodes for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) based on exsolving nickel from the perovskite structure. A-site-deficient La- and Ni-doped strontium titanates (La0.2Sr0.7Ti0.95Ni0.05O3−δ, LSTN) were synthesized using four different techniques and mixed with Ce0.8Gd0.2O2−δ (GDC) to form the SOFC anode. The synthesis routes of interest for comparison included solid-state, sol-gel, hydrothermal, and co-precipitation methods. LSTN powders were characterized via XRD, SEM, TPR, BET and XPS. In situ XRD during reduction was measured and the reduced powders were analyzed using TEM. The impact of synthesis route on SOFC performance was investigated. All samples were highly durable when kept at 0.5 V for 48 h at 800 °C with H2 fuel. Interestingly, the best performance was observed for the cell with the LSTN anode prepared via co-precipitation, while the conventional solid-state synthesis method only achieved the second-best results.