Low Area Specific Resistance La-Doped Bi<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Nanocomposite Thin Film Cathodes for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Applications
In the context of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), vertically aligned nanocomposite (VAN) thin films have emerged as a leading material type to overcome performance limitations in cathodes. Such VAN films combine conventional cathodes like La<sub><i>x</i></sub>Sr<sub>1-<i>x</i></sub>Co<sub><i>y</i></sub>Fe<sub>1-<i>y</i></sub>O<sub>3</sub> (LSCF) and La<sub>1-x</sub>Sr<sub><i>x</i></sub>MnO<sub>3</sub> (LSM) together with highly O<sup>2-</sup> ionic conducting materials including yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) or doped CeO<sub>2</sub>. Next-generation SOFCs will benefit from the exceptionally high ionic conductivity (1 S cm<sup>-1</sup> at 730 °C) of Bi<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>-based materials. Therefore, an opportunity exists to develop Bi<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>-based VAN cathodes. Herein, we present the first growth and characterization of a Bi<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>-based VAN cathode, containing epitaxial La-doped Bi<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> (LDBO) columns embedded in a LSM matrix. Our novel VANs exhibit low area specific resistance (ASR) (8.3 Ω cm<sup>2</sup> at 625 °C), representing ∼3 orders of magnitude reduction compared to planar LSM. Therefore, by demonstrating a high-performance Bi<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>-based cathode, this work provides an important foundation for future Bi<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>-based VAN SOFCs.
Authors
- Matthew P. Wells (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2632-0160)
- Judith L. MacManus‐Driscoll (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4987-6620)
- Adam J. Lovett (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3076-2992)
- Yizhi Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0422-0006)
- Thomas Samuel Miller (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2224-5768)
- Jiawei Song (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4013-1200)
- Haiyan Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7397-1209)
Institutions
- Purdue University West Lafayette (US)
- University of Cambridge (GB)
- London Centre for Nanotechnology (GB)
- University College London (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nano Letters
- Published
- 2024-11-26
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c03679
- Citations
- 5
- Primary Topic
- Advancements in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.59
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- Purdue University
- Faraday Institution
- Royal Academy of Engineering
- University College London
- European Commission
- Horizon 2020 Framework Programme
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
- Division of Materials Research