Tailoring the microstructure of La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3−α cathode material: the role of dispersing agent

A lower operating temperature below 600 °C of the solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) is a key determinant of device performance. With this in mind, the roles of dispersing agents were investigated for synthesizing a cathode material made of La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3−α (LSCF) for application in intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs). In the present study, LSCF was synthesized following a sol–gel method with the aid of an activated carbon and ethylene glycol as dispersing agents. X-ray diffractometer measurements indicate that a single perovskite phase of LSCF started to develop at the temperature of 500 °C and completely formed at 700 °C. Scanning electron microscope analysis confirmed that a well dispersed LSCF powders were successfully synthesized achieving a surface area of 12.05 m2 g−1 as corroborated by the BET surface area analysis. This finding shows significant improvements of modifying the structural properties of cathode material and could be used to fabricate the next generation of SOFCs.