AFM investigations on the influence of CO2 exposure on Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3–δ

In this work, fresh and CO2-exposed specimens of Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3–δ (BSCF) are examined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) using amplitude-modulated Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) and also electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) to characterize the early stages of the formation of reaction products due to reaction with gaseous CO2. A comparison is made with results from electron microscopy on the same samples. BSCF specimens exposed for 24 and 240 h to an atmosphere of 99.9 % CO2 at 900 °C, respectively, were analyzed and compared with non-exposed specimens. The observation of interconnected carbonate islands on BSCF forming a continuous carbonate layer after some exposure to CO2 indicates a Stranski–Krastanov or Volmer–Weber growth mechanism of the carbonate layer. Our results demonstrate that the measurement of surface potential variations by means of KPFM and EFM constitutes a very sensitive technique to detect the formation of reaction layers on gas permeation membranes such as BSCF. In contrast to electron microscopy techniques, scanning probe techniques permit the investigation of the topography and of electrochemical characteristics of the sample surface as received and without further preparation.