Perovskite Sr₁-xCexCoO₃-δ (0.05 ≤ x ≤ 0.15) as superior cathodes for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells.

Perovskite Sr(1-x)Ce(x)CoO(3-δ) (0.05 ≤ x ≤ 0.15) have been prepared by a sol-gel method and studied as cathodes for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells. As SOFC cathodes, Sr(1-x)Ce(x)CoO(3-δ) materials have sufficiently high electronic conductivities and excellent chemical compatibility with SDC electrolyte. The peak power density of cells with Sr(0.95)Ce(0.05)CoO(3-δ) is 0.625 W cm(-2) at 700 °C. By forming a composite cathode with an oxygen ion conductor SDC, the peak power density of the cell with Sr(0.95)Ce(0.05)CoO(3-δ)-30 wt %SDC composite cathode, reaches 1.01 W cm(-2) at 700 °C, better than that of Sm(0.5)Sr(0.5)CoO(3)-based cathode. All these results demonstrates that Sr(1-x)Ce(x)CoO(3-δ) (0.05 ≤ x ≤ 0.15)-based materials are promising cathodes for an IT-SOFC.