Electrochemical evaluation of La2NiO4+δ as a cathode material for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells

La2NiO4+delta powders were synthesized using a polyaminocarboxylate complex precursor method. La2NiO4+delta electrodes were prepared on Ce0.8Sm0.2O1.9 (SDC) substrates using a screen-printing technique. The microstructure feature and electrocatalytic activity of the electrodes were investigated with respect to the calcination temperature of the starting powders and sintering temperature of the electrodes. The effects of microstructure features on the electrochemical properties of La2NiO4+delta., electrodes have been inspected. Moreover, the electrochemical performance of the La2NiO4+delta cathode has been evaluated based on a Ni-SDC anode supported single cell. The single cell showed a modified electrochemical performance compared with the literature results, attaining a maximum power density of 295 mW cm(-2) at 800 degrees C. For the single cell, applying an Au layer onto the La2NiO4+delta cathode led to an evident reduction of ohmic resistance and a substantial enhancement of the maximum power density to 464 mW cm(-2). Copyright (C) 2014, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.