Improvement of the electrochemical properties of novel solid oxide fuel cell anodes, La0.75Sr0.25Cr0.5Mn0.5O3−δ and La4Sr8Ti11Mn0.5Ga0.5O37.5−δ, using Cu–YSZ-based cermets

A Cu–metal-based cermet was used to improve the electrochemical properties of two novel oxide-based systems with intrinsic low electronic conductivity such as La0.75Sr0.25Cr0.5Mn0.5O3−δ (LSCM) and La4Sr8Ti11Mn0.5Ga0.5O37.5−δ (LSTMG). The introduction of Cu results in a marked improvement of the polarisation resistance values and hence in the performance. The best results correspond to the addition of ∼15% of CuO. In both systems, the polarisation resistances were improved by a least a factor of 2. Despite there are reports claiming that the CuO–zirconia-based systems exhibit catalytic activity, such an improvement seems to be mainly related to the capability of CuO as a sintering agent, helping to bridge electrode particles together, creating new electronic paths and thus effectively increasing the triple phase boundary through the whole electrode material.