A high-performance composite cathode based on thermal expansion complementation for SOFC

The discrepancy in thermal expansion coefficients (TECs) between the cobalt-based cathode and the electrolyte presents a notable obstacle in attaining optimal performance levels for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Here we propose to introduce negative thermal expansion (NTE) component Sm0.85Zn0.15MnO3 (SZM) to SrNb0.1Co0.9O3−δ (SNC) cathode to prepare SNC-xSZM (x = 0, 10, 20 and 30 %) composite cathode materials. The impact of incorporating negative thermal expansion material on the composition and properties of the matrix materials were examined by X-ray diffraction, thermal dilatometer, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and electrochemical workstation. The results show that SNC-xSZM can achieve more ideal thermal matching with Ce0.8Gd0.2O1.9 (GDC), and the thermal expansion coefficient decreases observably from 25.47 × 10−6 K−1 for x = 0 to 13.74 × 10−6 K−1 for x = 30 %. The optimal comprehensive electrochemical performance is obtained for SNC-20SZM, which possesses the minimum polarization resistance (Rp) of 0.012 Ω cm2 at 700 °C. The SNC-20SZM-based cell shows a maximum peak power density (PPD) of 1.22 W cm−2 while exhibiting stable operation for a continuous duration of 120 h at a constant current of 0.8 A cm−2, with performance remaining optimal. Moreover, SNC-20SZM demonstrates exceptional durability and stability over prolonged durations even in high CO2 atmospheres. An innovative approach for enhancing the development of intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs) involves incorporating SZM in the SNC cathode, thereby augmenting electrochemical performance and narrowing the gap in the thermal expansion coefficient among SOFC modules.