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Solid oxide fuel cells are characterized by a high efficiency for converting chemical energy into electricity and fuel flexibility. This research work focuses on developing durable and efficient anodes for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) based on exsolving nickel from the perovskite structure. A-site-deficient La- and Ni-doped strontium titanates (La0.2Sr0.7Ti0.95Ni0.05O3−δ, LSTN) were synthesized using four different techniques and mixed with Ce0.8Gd0.2O2−δ (GDC) to form the SOFC anode. The synthesis routes of interest for comparison included solid-state, sol-gel, hydrothermal, and co-precipitation methods. LSTN powders were characterized via XRD, SEM, TPR, BET and XPS. In situ XRD during reduction was measured and the reduced powders were analyzed using TEM. The impact of synthesis route on SOFC performance was investigated. All samples were highly durable when kept at 0.5 V for 48 h at 800 °C with H2 fuel. Interestingly, the best performance was observed for the cell with the LSTN anode prepared via co-precipitation, while the conventional solid-state synthesis method only achieved the second-best results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase separation by the spinodal decomposition or nucleation and growth mechanisms is an established method for the generation of thermodynamically stable sub-micron features, capable of both reducing the lattice thermal conductivity, κl, and stabilizing its value, while obtaining high and stable thermoelectric (TE) figure of merit ZT values during practical applications. In the Mg2(Si,Sn,Ge) class of TE materials, a miscibility gap and a thermodynamic tendency of phase separation were reported in the Mg2Si–Mg2Sn quasi-binary section of the ternary phase diagram, capable of enhancing and stabilizing the TE performance, by κl minimization. Yet, no such tendency was ever reported for the Mg2Si–Mg2Ge quasi-binary system, prohibiting the fulfillment of its TE potential. It is currently shown that a similar (yet, less pronounced) tendency of phase separation is also apparent in the Mg2Si–Mg2Ge quasi-binary system, into Mg2Si- and Mg2Ge-rich Mg2Si0.5±δGe0.5±δ phases. This phenomenon is enhanced upon bismuth doping. Upon 1.5, 2, and 2.5% bismuth doping of Mg2Si0.5Ge0.5, following induction melting and hot-pressing, the solubility limit of Bi was found as 1.5–2%, while increasing the bismuth content resulted in significant Mg3Bi2 segregation into grain boundaries. The combined phase separation and segregation effects on κl reduction with the electronic effect of Bi doping resulted in a reasonably high maximal ZT of 0.9, which was observed upon 2.5% Bi doping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase separation by the spinodal decomposition or nucleation and growth mechanisms is an established method for the generation of thermodynamically stable sub-micron features, capable of both reducing the lattice thermal conductivity, κ l , and stabilizing its value, while obtaining high and stable thermoelectric (TE) figure of merit ZT values during practical applications. In the Mg 2 (Si,Sn,Ge) class of TE materials, a miscibility gap and a thermodynamic tendency of phase separation were reported in the Mg 2 Si-Mg 2 Sn quasi-binary section of the ternary phase diagram, capable of enhancing and stabilizing the TE performance, by κ l minimization. Yet, no such tendency was ever reported for the Mg 2 Si-Mg 2 Ge quasi-binary system, prohibiting the fulfillment of its TE potential. It is currently shown that a similar (yet, less pronounced) tendency of phase separation is also apparent in the Mg 2 Si-Mg 2 Ge quasi-binary system, into Mg 2 Si- and Mg 2 Ge-rich Mg 2 Si 0.5± δ Ge 0.5± δ phases. This phenomenon is enhanced upon bismuth doping. Upon 1.5, 2, and 2.5% bismuth doping of Mg 2 Si 0.5 Ge 0.5 , following induction melting and hot-pressing, the solubility limit of Bi was found as 1.5-2%, while increasing the bismuth content resulted in significant Mg 3 Bi 2 segregation into grain boundaries. The combined phase separation and segregation effects on κ l reduction with the electronic effect of Bi doping resulted in a reasonably high maximal ZT of 0.9, which was observed upon 2.5% Bi doping.