Metal Oxides: Crystallographic characterizations for high temperature electrochemistry applications

SERQUIS A,; NAPOLITANO F.; SOLDATI A.; FERNANDEZ ZUVICH A.; BAQUE L.; ARCE M.D.; MOGNI L.V; BASBUS J.F.; TROIANI H.; SALETA M.

Congreso; 24th Congress & General Assembly of the International Union of Crystallography; 2017

The strong relationship between the crystallographic structure and defects with the electronic and transport properties of acertain material is a key figure in most of the research conducted in materials science. The properties of an oxide in particular(transport, electrochemical, thermal, etc.) can be affected by several factors including the synthesis method and environmentalconditions such as pressure, temperature, atmosphere, electrical current and field, magnetic field, etc. Therefore, it is importantto go beyond the limited information obtained through the traditional ex-situ characterization techniques toward the moreexhaustive ones provided by the in-situ or in-operando experiments, where it is possible the study of a device under nonambientworking conditions.In this talk I will present some of the latest results obtained in our group involving several ceramic materials that are intended forsustainable clean energy generation devices like solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC). The focus will be placed on the correlationbetween the microstructural aspects (determined by the processing parameters) and their physical properties that determine thematerials efficiency. The structural stability and chemical compatibility between the electrode and electrolyte materials studiedwere evaluated through the combination of several characterization techniques, such as electron microscopies (SEM, TEM), Xraydiffraction (XRD), chemical analysis by EDS and synchrotron radiation methods (XANES y EXAFS), including some in-situand in-operando techniques.[1] Baqué L. et al. (2016) International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 41, 1958-1965.[2] Fernandez Zuvich A. et al. (2016) ECS Trans., 72, 215-224.[3] Napolitano F. R. et al (2013) International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 37, 8965-8973.