Chemically Stable Proton Conducting Doped BaCeO(3) -No More Fear to SOFC Wastes

Development of chemically stable proton conductors for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) will solve several issues, including cost associated with expensive inter-connectors, and long-term durability. Best known Y-doped BaCeO(3) (YBC) proton conductors-based SOFCs suffer from chemical stability under SOFC by-products including CO(2) and H(2)O. Here, for the first time, we report novel perovskite-type Ba(0.5)Sr(0.5)Ce(0.6)Zr(0.2)Gd(0.1)Y(0.1)O(3−δ) by substituting Sr for Ba and co-substituting Gd + Zr for Ce in YBC that showed excellent chemical stability under SOFC by-products (e.g., CO(2) and H(2)O) and retained a high proton conductivity, key properties which were lacking since the discovery of YBCs. In situ and ex- situ powder X-ray diffraction and thermo-gravimetric analysis demonstrate superior structural stability of investigated perovskite under SOFC by-products. The electrical measurements reveal pure proton conductivity, as confirmed by an open circuit potential of 1.15 V for H(2)-air cell at 700°C, and merits as electrolyte for H-SOFCs.