Fabrication and electrochemical performance of a stable, anode supported thin BaCe0.4Zr0.4Y0.2O3-δ electrolyte Protonic Ceramic Fuel Cell

The present work deals with the fabrication and electrochemical characterisation of a potential protonic ceramic fuel cell based on a Ni-BaZr0.85Y0.15O3-delta anode supported thin film proton conducting BaCeo(4)Zr(0.4)Y(0.2)O(3-delta) electrolyte with a Pr2NiO4+delta cathode. Anode and electrolyte materials were prepared by an acetate-H2O2 combustion method. A thin (similar to 5 mu m), dense and crack free BaCe0.4Zr0.4Y0.2O3-delta electrolyte film was successfully obtained on a porous anode support by spin coating and firing at 1450 degrees C. Maximum power densities of 234, 158, 102 and 63 mW cm-2 at 700, 650, 600 and 550 degrees C, respectively were achieved for the Ni-BaZr0.85Y0.15O3-delta/BaCe0.4Zr0.4Y0.2O3-delta/Pr2NiO4+delta single cell under fuel cell testing conditions. Electrode polarisation resistance was assessed at open circuit conditions by use of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and is shown to dominate the area specific resistance at low temperatures. Postmortem analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), reveals that no delamination occurs at anode/electrolyte or electrolyte/cathode interfaces upon cell operation. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.