Radio-frequency magnetron sputtered thin-film La0.5Sr0.5Co0.95Nb0.05O3-δ perovskite electrodes for intermediate temperature symmetric solid oxide fuel cell (IT-SSOFC)

The present work explores the application of La_0.5Sr_0.5Co_0.95Nb_0.05O_3-δ (LSCNO) perovskite as electrode material for the symmetric solid oxide fuel cell. Symmetric solid oxide fuel cells of thin-film LSCNO electrodes were prepared to study the oxygen reduction reaction at intermediate temperature. The Rietveld refinement of synthesized material shows a hexagonal structure with the R-3c space group of the prepared perovskite material. Lattice parameter and fractional coordinates were utilized to calculate the oxygen ion diffusion coefficient for molecular dynamic simulation. At 973 K, the oxygen ion diffusion of LSCNO was 1.407 $\times$ 10⁻⁸ cm² s⁻¹ higher by order of one magnitude than that of the La_0.5Sr_0.5CoO_3-δ (7.751 $\times$ 10⁻⁹ cm² s⁻¹). The results suggest that the Nb doping provide the structural stability which improves oxygen anion diffusion. The enhanced structural stability was analysed by the thermal expansion coefficient calculated experimentally and from molecular dynamics simulations. Furthermore, the density functional theory calculation revealed the role of Nb dopant for oxygen vacancy formation energy at Sr–O and La–O planes is lower than the undoped structure. To understand the rate-limiting process for sluggish oxygen diffusion kinetics, 80 nm and 40 nm thin films were fabricated using radio frequency magnetron sputtering on gadolinium doped ceria electrolyte substrate. The impedance was observed to increase with an increasing thickness, suggesting the bulk diffusion as a rate-limiting step for oxygen ion diffusion. The electrochemical performance was analysed for the thin-film symmetric solid oxide fuel cell, which achieved a peak power density of 390 mW cm⁻² at 1.02 V in the presence of H₂ fuel on the anode side and air on the cathode side.