Enhanced performance of the Sm0.5Sr0.5CoO3 − δ double layer porous cathode for solid oxide fuel cells

Porous strontium-doped samarium cobaltite (Sm0.5Sr0.5CoO3 − δ, SSC) cathode films with nano-porous single layer and nano/micro porous double layer are fabricated by electrostatic spray deposition (ESD) for SOFC applications. The two-step deposition is carried out on disc-type pellets of samarium doped ceria by separate consecutive processes for nano-porous functional layer near the electrode/electrolyte interface and for the micro-porous layer near the electrode surface. Thickness of layers is ~ 1 μm for nano-porous and ~ 8 μm for micro-porous layer. The SSC/SDC half-cell with the double layer porous cathode is confirmed to be more effective for decreasing polarization resistance, especially for middle and low frequency ranges, than the single layer nano-porous cathode.