Synthesis and evaluation of NiO–Ce0.8Sm0.2O1.9 nanocomposite powders for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells

In this study, NiO–Ce0.8Sm0.2O1.9 (SDC) nanocomposite powders with NiO content of 40–60 mass% were successfully synthesized by hydroxide co-precipitation method. The effect of NiO content on crystal phase, crystallite size, average particle size and particle size distribution of the NiO–SDC nanocomposite powders was investigated. The average particle size of the NiO–SDC nanocomposite powders increased and the particle size distribution became wider with an increase in the NiO content. Anode-supported solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) were fabricated from the NiO–SDC nanocomposite powders with different NiO content and electrochemical performance was tested at 500–650 °C using humidified hydrogen as fuel. Results showed that the NiO–SDC nanocomposite powders were suitable to be applied as anode materials for low-temperature SOFCs. The anode-supported SOFC fabricated from the NiO–SDC nanocomposite powders with 50 mass% NiO demonstrated the highest electrical performance among the anode-supported SOFCs fabricated from the NiO–SDC nanocomposite powders with the NiO content of 40–60 mass%.