Investigation of microstructural and electrochemical properties of impregnated (La,Sr)(Ti,Mn)O3±δ as a potential anode material in high-temperature solid oxide fuel cells

The microstructural and electrochemical properties of La0.4Sr0.6Ti0.8Mn0.2O3±δ (LSTM) fabricated via liquid-phase impregnation have been investigated for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) applications. Scanning electron micrography (SEM) showed that LSTM uniformly covers the porous scaffold when heated in an oxidizing atmosphere, which transforms to fine particles when reduced. The electrical conductivity of a 10 wt % CeO2–50 wt % LSTM–8 mol % yttria-stabilized zirconia (8YSZ) composite anode was higher than that of a 50 wt % LSTM–8YSZ anode and was stable at 700, 800, and 900 °C under reducing conditions. When the 50 wt % LSTM-8YSZ was used as an anode, power densities of the sample were <100 mW cm–2 over the entire measured temperature range. The addition of 10 wt % of CeO2 and 1 wt % of Pd as catalysts increased the power density to 150 and 210 mW cm–2 at 800 and 850 °C, respectively