Electrochemical characteristics of an La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3–La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 multi-layer composite cathode for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells

An La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3–La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 (LSCF–LSM) multi-layer composite cathode for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) was prepared on an yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte by the screen-printing technique. Its cathodic polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectra were measured and the results were compared with those for a conventional LSM/LSM–YSZ cathode. While the LSCF–LSM multi-layer composite cathode exhibited a cathodic overpotential lower than 0.13 V at 750 °C at a current density of 0.4 A cm−2, the overpotential for the conventional LSM–YSZ cathode was about 0.2 V. The electrochemical impedance spectra revealed a better electrochemical performance of the LSCF–LSM multi-layer composite cathode than that of the conventional LSM/LSM–YSZ cathode; e.g., the polarization resistance value of the multi-layer composite cathode was 0.25 Ω cm2 at 800 °C, nearly 40% lower than that of LSM/LSM–YSZ at the same temperature. In addition, an encouraging output power from an YSZ-supported cell using an LSCF–LSM multi-layer composite cathode was obtained.