Ultrathin YSZ Coating on Pt Cathode for High Thermal Stability and Enhanced Oxygen Reduction Reaction Activity. Issue 10 (10th March 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chang, Ikwhang; Ji, Sanghoon; Park, Joonho; Lee, Min Hwan; Cha, Suk Won
• Is Part Of: Advanced energy materials. Volume 5:Issue 10(2015:May)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2015-03-10
• Subjects: Energy harvesting -- Materials -- Periodicals; Energy conversion -- Materials -- Periodicals; Energy storage -- Materials -- Periodicals; Photovoltaics -- Periodicals; Fuel cells -- Periodicals; Thermoelectric materials -- Periodicals; 621.31
• DOI: 10.1002/aenm.201402251
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1614-6832

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" xml:lang="en"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p>A simple, yet effective approach of stabilizing the nanostructure of porous metal‐based electrodes and thus, extending the life of microsolid oxide fuel cells is demonstrated. In an effort to avoid thermal agglomeration of metal electrodes, an ultrathin yttria‐stabilized zirconia (YSZ) is coated on the porous metal (Pt) cathode by the atomic layer deposition, a scalable, and potentially high‐throughput deposition technique. A very thin YSZ coating is found to maintain the morphology of its underlying nanoporous Pt during high temperature operations (500 °C). More interestingly, the YSZ coating is also found to improve oxygen reduction reaction activity by ≈2.5 times. This improvement is attributed to an enhanced triple phase area, especially in the vicinity of the Pt–electrolyte interface; cross‐sectional electron microscopy images indicate that the initially uniform ultrathin YSZ layer becomes a partially agglomerated coating, a favorable structure for a maximized reaction area and fluent oxygen access to the Pt–electrolyte interface.</p> </abstract>