Application of the electrospinning technique in the preparation of selected electrode materials for solid oxide fuel cells

Abstract The electrospinning technique was applied to prepare cathode materials for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The research aimed to determine the influence of the Poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) content in the solution of a Sm 0.5 Ba 0.25 Sr 0.25 Co 0.5 Cu 0.5 O 3-d perovskite oxide on the properties of the spun material, and consequently, on the performance of the fuel cell. The chosen material, commonly used as a cathode material for SOFCs, has been altered by the replacement of toxic barium and cobalt with less harmful strontium in the A-site and copper in the B-site. A single-phase perovskite structure was obtained after annealing at 900°C for two hours. The research included a process of preparing the precursor solution and obtaining samples by the electrospinning technique, followed by a series of studies to determine the morphology and phase composition, electrode and cell fabrication, and characterization of their electrochemical properties. The results indicated that material derived from a precursor with the addition of 15 wt.% PVP had the lowest polarization resistance values (e.g. 0,865 Ω cm −2 at 800 °C) between 600°C - 900°C temperature range. This material was then screen-printed on a commercial anode-supported fuel cell as a cathode layer, which allowed to achieve a promising power density value close to 300 mW cm −2 at 800 °C.