A highly stable Co3O4-GDC nanocomposite cathode for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells

Here, we report a cobalt spinel oxide (Co3O4) and gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC) nanocomposite cathode to achieve superior performance and durability in solid oxide fuel cells. A simple sol-gel process was used to create the Co3O4-GDC nanocomposite, which allowed for separate precipitation of the Co3O4 and GDC phases during calcination. HR-TEM revealed the nanocrystalline nature of the composite, consisting of nanocrystallites ranging in size from 5 to 10 nm. XRD and HAADF-STEM showed the formation of two distinct phases. The SOFC, consisting of a Co3O4-GDC nanocomposite cathode, showed high durability while operating at 800 °C for 300 h under a galvanostatic load of 1 A cm−2. The SOFC exhibited a continuously increasing performance, achieving a maximum power density of 1382 mW cm−2 after a 300 h operation. The findings demonstrate the efficacy of using Co3O4-GDC nanocomposite cathode for superior electrochemical performance as well as durability for the advancement of SOFC technology.