Electrochemical Performance of NiCo<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> Spinel Cathodes for Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
Imdadullah Thaheem, Shamshad Ali, Muhammad Waqas, Ayaz Hussain, Afaque Manzoor Soomro, Zuhaibuddin Bhutto, Syed Ali Raza Shah, Wazir Muhammad, Jalal Shah
Abstract
It is a great challenge to develop the highly efficient cathode material for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) at intermediate temperature, while high electronic conductivity, good thermal and chemical compatibility, and superior electrochemical performance of the AB 2 O 4 ‐type spinel is attractive electrode material. Herein, the NiCo 2 O 4 spinel is developed using the glycine‐nitrate process (GNP) method as a cathode material for IT SOFCs. The characterization of the phase structure, microstructure, and electrochemical performance are done using X‐ray diffraction, scanning electronic microscopy, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results show that NiCo 2 O 4 exhibited a single cubic structure and good chemical compatibility with a ((Sc 2 O 3 )0.1(CeO 2 )0.01(ZrO 2 )0.89) (ScCeSZ) electrolyte material at 900 °C for 10 h. Furthermore, a NiO–YSZ anode |NiO–YSZ, AFL | ScCeSZ |NiCo 2 O 4 SOFC cell exhibits the maximum power density (MDP) of 0.73 and 1.04 W cm −2 at 750 and 800 °C, respectively. These results recommend the spinel‐structured NiCo 2 O 4 is a potential cathode material for IT SOFC application.