A bi-layered composite cathode of La0.8Sr0.2MnO3-YSZ and La0.8Sr0.2MnO3-La0.4Ce0.6O1.8 for IT-SOFCs

A bi-layered composite cathode of La_0.8Sr_0.2MnO₃ (LSM)-YSZ and LSM-La_0.4Ce_0.6O_1.8 (LDC) was fabricated for anode-supported solid oxide fuel cells with a thin YSZ electrolyte film. The cell with the bi-layered composite cathode displayed better performance than the cell with the corresponding single-layered composite cathode of LSM-LDC or LSM-YSZ. At 650 °C, the cell with the bi-layered composite cathode gave a higher maximum power density than the cells with the single-layered LSM-LDC and LSM-YSZ composite cathodes, by 52% and 175%, respectively. The impedance spectra results show that the thin LSM-YSZ interlayer not only improves the cathode/electrolyte interface but also reduces the polarization resistance of the cathode. The activation energy for oxygen reduction on the bi-layered composite cathode is much smaller than that on LSM-YSZ composite cathode, and it is suggested that the special redox property of Ce⁴⁺/Ce³⁺ in LDC facilitates the oxygen reduction process on the bi-layered composite cathode. The cell with the bi-layered composite cathode operated quite stably during a 100 h run.