화학공학소재연구정보센터
Journal of the Electrochemical Society, Vol.163, No.9, F1107-F1114, 2016
Nonlinear Impedance Analysis of La0.4Sr0.6Co0.2Fe0.8O3-delta Thin Film Oxygen Electrodes
Linear and nonlinear electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS, NLEIS) were used to study 20 nm thin film La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-delta (LSCF-6428) electrodes at 600 degrees C in oxygen environments. LSCF films were epitaxially deposited on single crystal yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) with a 5 nm gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC) protective interlayer. Impedance measurements reveal an oxygen storage capacity similar to independent thermogravimetry measurements on semi-porous pellets. However, the impedance data fail to obey a homogeneous semiconductor point-defect model. Two consistent scenarios were considered: a homogeneous film with non-ideal thermodynamics (constrained by thermogravimetry measurements), or an inhomogeneous film (constrained by a semiconductor point-defect model with a Sr maldistribution). The latter interpretation suggests that gradients in Sr composition would have to extend beyond the space-charge region of the gas-electrode interface. While there is growing evidence supporting an equilibrium Sr segregation at the LSCF surface monolayer, a long-range, non-equilibrium Sr stratification caused by electrode processing conditions offers a possible explanation for the large volume of highly reducible LSCF. Additionally, all thin films exhibited fluctuations in both linear and nonlinear impedance over the hundred-hour measurement period. This behavior is inconsistent with changes solely in the surface rate coefficient and possibly caused by variations in the surface thermodynamics over exposure time. (C) The Author(s) 2016. Published by ECS. All rights reserved.