Influence of morphology on the behaviour of electrodes in a proton-conducting Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

SrCe0.95Yb0.05O3 (SCY) and related materials are under consideration as a proton conductors for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) electrolytes. Sintered pellets of SCY are used to perform impedance spectroscopy (IS) studies and fuel cell tests on cells with Pt electrodes of two different morphologies. Electrodes are applied to the SCY pellets by two routes: either by firing on a layer of Pt paint (denoted electrode P) or by magnetron sputtering (electrode S). In impedance spectra recorded over a wide temperature range under humidified hydrogen, in symmetrical cell conditions, cells with S electrodes give rise to a much smaller low frequency impedance feature than the cells with P electrodes. This is tentatively attributed to faster diffusion-related processes taking place at the S electrodes. The behaviour of working fuel cells with S and P electrode morphologies is evaluated in terms of maximum power output and Area Specific Resistance in two-atmosphere tests. The fuel cell anode with the S morphology results in superior fuel cell performance, in agreement with the impedance study. The influence of the two different electrode morphologies on the behaviour of the cells is discussed with reference to their morphology, as determined by SEM and AFM.