Yttrium-doped barium cerate ceramic powders for protonic solid electrolytes

Reactive yttrium-doped BaCeO(3) ceramic powders have been prepared by a chemical route based on the citrate technique. Barium carbonate, cerium nitrate, yttrium nitrate, polyethylene glycol and citric acid have been mixed and heated to produce polymeric resins, that upon heating, yielded BaCe(1-x)Y(x)O(n) fine ceramic powders. Pressing and sintering produced high density pellets. X-ray diffraction and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analyses have shown that these pellets are perovskite single phase and protonic solid electrolytes, respectively. The main applications of these pellets are as solid electrolytes in many electrochemical devices such as methane-based solid oxide fuel cells and hydrogen or steam sensors.