A novel BaFe0.8Zn0.1Bi0.1O3−δ cathode for proton conducting solid oxide fuel cells

Cobalt-free materials with triple conductivity are considered potential cathode materials for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC). We applied Zn to improve the hydration ability and redox activity of a traditional barium-ferrite (BFO) cathode, in order to improve the performance of the proton conductor-based SOFC (H-SOFC). Evidence suggests that the performance of BFO cathode is improved by Zn-doping. The single cell with BaFe0.8Zn0.1Bi0.1O3−δ (BFZB) as the cathode can achieve 816.26 mW cm−2 at 700 °C after Zn-doping. Coupled with the impregnation method, cell performance with BFZB nanoparticles as the cathode was further improved to 1138.21 mW cm−2 at 700 °C. The new cobalt-free cathode has excellent performance, which is even comparable to that of some cobalt-containing cathodes and thus worthy of further investigations.