Mass synthesis of high performance (La0.75Sr0.25)0.95MnO3±δ nano-powder prepared via a low-carbon chemical solution method

• A low-carbon chemical solution method is established and scaled up to prepare high performance LSM powders.
• The organic compound emission is reduced to a quarter of that in the citric acid–nitrate method.
• The conductivity of the sintered LSM is about 220 S cm−1 in air at 700–1000 °C.
• As-prepared symmetric and unit cells with LSM–YSZ cathode show excellent performance.

A novel low-carbon chemical solution method is established and successfully scaled up to prepare (La0.75Sr0.25)0.95MnO3±δ(LSM) nano-powders, in which acetate and acrylic acid have been used as raw materials. Distinguish from the traditional chemical solution methods, nitrate and amino compound are non-used in this method and without causing any fire hazard or explosion condition which are usually found in most of the solution synthesis reactions. The organic compound emission is reduced to a quarter of that in the citric acid–nitrate method. This optimization is attributed to the low application amount and high effect of acrylic acid by means of the co-operation of ethylenic linkage and carboxyl group. As-prepared powders are high purity, single phase, slight aggregation with grain size less than 100 nm. The conductivity of the sintered LSM sample is measured about 220 S cm−1 in air at 700–1000 °C. The polarization resistance of LSM–YSZ cathode is less than 0.1 Ω cm2 at 800 °C. Anode supported Cells with configuration of Ni + YSZ/YSZ/LSM + YSZ exhibit the power density of 0.54 W cm−2 at 800 °C and 0.7 V. These results indicate that the novel acetate–acrylic method is very suitable for mass synthesis of high performance LSM powders.