Effects of A-site deficiency on the electrical conductivity and stability of (La, Co) co-doped SrTiO3 anode materials for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells

Improved anode materials are required for intermediate temperature operation of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). (La, Co) co-doped SrTiO3 was synthesized via solid state reaction in this study. The results have demonstrated remarkable improvement of the ionic electrical conductivity and the thermal stability of (La, Co) co-doped SrTiO3 anode materials with A-site deficiency. The ionic conductivity of (La0.3Sr0.7)(0.95) Co0.07Ti0.93O3-delta sample is 0.7-1.9 x 10(-2) S cm(-1) from 500 degrees C to 900 degrees C and 1.4 x 10(-2) S cm(-1) at 700 degrees C in 5% H-2/Ar. These values are nearly ten times higher than that of La0.3Sr0.7TiO3-delta at 700 degrees C. A-site deficiency improves the thermal stability of (La, Co) co-doped SrTiO3 and ensures stable electrical performance in different atmospheres. The possible charge compensation mechanism of (La0.3Sr0.7)(0.95)Co0.07Ti0.93O3-delta multicomponent system was also discussed. Crown Copyright (C) 2016 The Society of Powder Technology Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.