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Investigation of the effect of PrOx catalyst infiltration on the microstructure, electrochemical properties and long-term stability of Pr1.6Ca0.4Ni0.6Cu0.4O4+δ air electrodes
Abstract
Solid oxide cells require highly active, stable air electrodes for intermediate-temperature operation. Owing to dual-doping synergetic effects, Pr1.6Ca0.4Ni0.6Cu0.4O4+δ material exhibits enhanced phase stability under operational conditions compared to Pr2NiO4+δ along with a low polarization resistance of 0.40–0.65 Ohm · cm² at 700 °C. However, its low-temperature electrochemical activity significantly deteriorates due to a reduction in the highly mobile interstitial oxygen content resulting from doping. To extend the operational range of this electrode, this study aims to enhance its performance using the infiltration technique. The investigation includes optimization of the electrode backbone structure and evaluation of the effects of precursor concentration and the number of infiltration cycles on microstructure and electrochemical properties. The results demonstrate that a 1 M solution prevents surface blocking, yielding uniform catalyst distribution. The optimized electrode exhibits a remarkably low polarization resistance of 0.25 Ohm · cm2 at 600 °C. Furthermore, direct infiltration into the functional layer ensures superior long-term stability and provides a scalable strategy for advanced electrochemical devices.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.15826/elmattech.2026.5.074
Copyright (c) 2026 Elena Yu. Pikalova, Viktor A. Tsvinkinberg, Nadezhda S. Pikalova
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