In situ self-assembly of a high active and durable composite electrode for protonic ceramic fuel cells

Protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs) are an all-solid-state energy conversion device with high efficiency and low emissions. The development of cathode materials with high performance at low and medium temperatures is of great significance to the development of PCFCs. BaCo0.4Fe0.4Zr0.1Y0.1O3-δ (BCFZY) is a new fuel cell cathode material with excellent electrochemical properties in the medium to low temperature range (500–700°C). In order to further improve its performance, we proposed an in situ self-assembled, high active, and durable BaCO3 and BZCY composite electrode via one-step urea-assisted sol-gel method. The influence of urea content on the crystal structure and microscopic morphology of the synthesized composite electrodes was systematically investigated. Experimental results demonstrated that the single cell with 1U-BCFZY composite cathode had much lower impedance of 0.10 Ω cm2 than that with single phase BCFZY cathode. The single PCFC with BZCYYb electrolyte and 1U-BCFZY composite cathode showed a maximum power density of 622 mW cm−2 and an open circuit voltage (OCV) of 1.063 V at 600 °C. Additionally, an in-depth investigation on the cell performance and durability of the cell with the self assembled composite cathode was conducted.