Impact of volatile boron species on the microstructure and performance of nano-structured (Gd,Ce)O2 infiltrated (La,Sr)MnO3 cathodes of solid oxide fuel cells

The impact of volatile boron species on the microstructure and performance of nano-structured (Gd,Ce)O2-infiltrated (La,Sr)MnO3 (GDC-LSM) cathodes of solid oxide fuel cells is studied for the first time. The results indicate that after the heat treatment of the cathodes at 800 °C in air for 30 days in the presence of borosilicate glass significant grain growth and agglomeration of infiltrated GDC nanoparticles are observed. The electrode polarization resistance of the GDC–LSM cathode after the heat treatment in the presence of glass is 3.15 Ω cm2 at 800 °C, substantially higher than 0.17 Ω cm2 of the cathode heat-treated in the absence of glass under identical conditions. ICP-OES analysis shows the deposition of boron species in the cathodes after sintering in the presence of glass powder. The results demonstrate the significant detrimental effect of volatile boron species on the microstructure and activity of nano-structured GDC–LSM cathode.