Physical chemical properties of Ce0.8Sm0.2IryCo1-yO3-ä (y = 0.03–0.04) and preliminary testing as cathode material for low-temperature SOFC

Abstract

Sol-gel method was used to prepare Ce0.8Sm0.2IryCo1-yO3-ä (CSIC) (y = 0.03 and 0.04). All materials were characterized using powder X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, infrared (IR) spectroscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The materials were then tested as cathodes in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). The XRD data showed distinct peaks for samarium-doped ceria and iridium oxide while Raman data confirmed the presence of perovskite and pyrochlore phases. Materials calcined at 1000 °C had the highest power density of 0.287 W cm–2 and 0.222 W cm–2 at 500 °C for the materials with y = 0.03 and 0.04, respectively, when tested in SOFC button cells.