The preparation and electrochemical properties of Nd0.6Sr0.4Fe1−xZnxO3−δ cathode materials for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells

Nd0.6Sr0.4Fe1−xZnxO3−δ perovskite oxides were prepared by solid state synthesis and applied as solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cathodes. XRD showed the high uniformity of the synthesized powder. The addition of Zn reduces the coefficient thermal expansion (CTE), and the average CTE is 15.9279 × 10−6 K when the added Zn content is 0.1. Nd0.6Sr0.4Fe0.96Zn0.04O3−δ showed the highest conductivity of 108.78 S cm−1 at 700 °C. EIS indicated that an appropriate amount of Zn doping can improve the oxygen transport capacity. A single cell with Nd0.6Sr0.4Fe0.96Zn0.04O3−δ as the cathode showed a peak power density of 306.37 mW cm−2 at 800 °C, proving that the introduction of an appropriate amount of Zn can improve the electrochemical performance of a material.