posted on 2021-11-18, 20:04authored bySung Soo Shin, Jeong Hun Kim, Hyeseong Jeong, Mi Young Park, Kyung Joong Yoon, Ji-Won Son, Mansoo Choi, Hyoungchul Kim
Electrode architecturing for fast
electrochemical reaction is essential
for achieving high-performance of low-temperature solid oxide fuel
cells (LT-SOFCs). However, the conventional droplet infiltration technique
still has limitations in terms of the applicability and scalability
of nanocatalyst implementation. Here, we develop a novel two-step
precursor infiltration process and fabricate high-performance LT-SOFCs
with homogeneous and robust nanocatalysts. This novel infiltration
process is designed based on the principle of a reversible sol–gel
transition where the gelated precursor dendrites are uniformly deposited
onto the electrode via controlled nanoscale electrospraying process
then resolubilized and infiltrated into the porous electrode structure
through subsequent humidity control. Our infiltration technique reduces
the cathodic polarization resistance by 18% compared to conventional
processes, thereby achieving an enhanced peak power density of 0.976
W cm–2 at 650 °C. These results, which provide
various degrees of freedom for forming nanocatalysts, exhibit an advancement
in LT-SOFC technology.