Abstract

Enhancing the electrocatalytic activity of the electrode materials, specifically oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), at lower operating temperatures (<600 °C) is the prime rank to realize the commercialization of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) research. Herein, a new hexagonal structure-based cathode material was developed with the co-doping of Gd2O3 and Cr2O3 of parent SrFe12O19 oxide, respectively. At 550‒475 °C, Sr0.90Gd0.10Fe11.90Cr0.10O19 (SFO-10) cathode sample leading to the large peak power density (PPD) of 395 mW/cm2, has appropriate surface oxygen defects (Oβ) up to 17%, as verified by X-ray photoelectron microscopy (XPS). Theoretical calculations reveal that the co-doping of Gd and Cr oxides creates lattice disorder at the hexagonal lattice, which decreases the energy barrier for ion transport and enhances the electrocatalytic characteristics of ORR. Consequently, the SFO-10 cathode shows a favorable ORR activity with the least lower polarization resistance (ASR) at 550 °C with gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC) electrolyte. This work provides a self-assembled single-phase hexagonal cathode to accelerate the low-temperature hindrance of SOFC technology.