Studies on Perovskite-Based Electrodes for Symmetrical SOFCs

The use of the same material as anode and cathode in symmetrical solid oxide fuel cells (SFCs) promises notable benefits as easier fabrication, hence lower cost production and resistance to carbon formation upon fuel cracking. Although chromites and chromo-manganites have been proposed as candidate electrode materials for this novel SOFC configuration, demonstrating promising performances, further work is required to develop compositions exhibiting higher efficiencies. In the present work we evaluate the structural evolution from cubic to orthorhombic unit cells with increasing the Fe content and the performance of La4Sr8Ti12-xFexO38-delta (LSTF) phases and compare their response with other symmetrical electrodes. The electrochemical performance is 20% higher when using graded LSTF electrodes than in other perovskite-based systems.