High performance solid oxide fuel cells with electrocatalytically enhanced (La, Sr)MnO3 cathodes

The conventionally mixed LSM–YSZ, LSM impregnated YSZ (LSM + YSZ) and Pd impregnated LSM–YSZ (Pd + LSM–YSZ) cathodes, were prepared and evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and single cell testing. The electrochemical performance of the impregnated cathodes have been significantly boosted due to the formation of nano-sized LSM and Pd particles on the YSZ and LSM–YSZ substrates, respectively, and in turn, the increased area of the triple phase boundary (TPB) where the O2 reduction reaction occurs, the power densities as high as 1.42 and 0.83 W cm−2 at 750 °C were achieved from single cells with the Pd + LSM–YSZ and LSM + YSZ cathodes, respectively, in contrast to 0.20 W cm−2 from the single cell with the conventional LSM–YSZ cathode. Suggesting the Pd + LSM–YSZ and LSM + YSZ cathodes can be well used for the intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs).