Preparation and characterization of reticular SSC cathode films by electrostatic spray deposition

Sm0.5Sr0.5CoO3−δ (SSC) cathode films were deposited on CGO (Gd0.1Ce0.9O1.95) electrolyte substrates by electrostatic spray deposition to prepare SSC/CGO/SSC symmetrical cells. Deposition parameters were changed systematically to examine their effects on film microstructure and electrode performance. A set of deposition parameters including a 0.01 M precursor solution containing metal nitrates in a mixture solvent of de-ionized water (0.6 vol%), ethanol (1.5 vol%) and diethyl butyl carbitol (97.9 vol%), a flow rate of 6 ml/h for precursor solution, a deposition temperature of 350 °C and an imposed electric field of 10 kV/3 cm was identified for preparation of films with a highly porous reticular structure. The superior performance of a reticular SSC electrode was evidenced by its low interfacial resistances of 0.275 and 0.018 Ω cm2 measured in 500 and 700 °C, respectively. These values were one-half to one order of magnitude smaller than that of the screen-printed or slurry-painted electrodes.