Cathode infiltration with enhanced catalytic activity and durability for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells

To lower the operation temperature and increase the durability of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), increasing attentions have been paid on developing cathode materials with good oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity at intermediate-temperature (IT, 500–750 °C) range. However, most cathode materials exhibit poor catalytic activity, or they thermally mismatch with SOFC electrolytes and undergo severe degeneration. Infiltrating catalysts on existing backbone materials has been proved to be an efficient method to construct highly active and durable cathodes. In this mini-review, the advantages of infiltration-based cathode compared with new material-based cathodes are summarized. The merits and drawbacks of different backbones are illustrated. Different types of catalysts for infiltration are depicted in detail. Suggestions on the material/structure optimization of the infiltrated cathodes of IT-SOFC are provided. Infiltrating catalysts on backbones can efficiently construct highly ORR-active and durable cathodes for intermediate solid oxide fuel cells. In this mini-review, the types of backbones and coatings for cathode infiltration have been overviewed to highlight the advantages of the infiltration method and the material/structure optimization strategy for high-performance IT-SOFC cathodes. [Display omitted]