Time Resolved DXAS Study on Micro and Nano NiO/Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 Cermets for Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

AFRA FERNÁNDEZ ZUVICH; SUSANA LARRONDO; MARTÍN E. SALETA; FEDERICO R. NAPOLITANO; ALBERTO CANEIRO; HORACIO E. TROIANI; DIEGO G. LAMAS; MAURICIO D. ARCE; ADRIANA SERQUIS; ANALÍA L. SOLDATI

ECS Transaction

The Electrochemical Society

Año: 2016 vol. 72 p. 215 - 224

We present a crystallographic, morphologic and redox dynamic study on (60:40) NiO/Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 (NiO/GDC) cermets simulating Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (IT-SOFC) anodes in situ conditions. We tested micro- and nanometer sized materials at 700ºC in three different atmospheres (5% H2, 5% O2 and 20% CH4). We used Dispersive X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (DXAS) analysisat the Ce L3-edge and at the Ni K-edge to follow the metal´s oxidation states. A correlation between the catalytic/redox properties and the sample´s characteristics (microstructure, Ni distribution, etc.) was found, indicating that nanometric sized particles showed faster and higher reduction extents than micrometric particles of the same composition.