Interfacial Modification for High-Efficient Reversible Protonic Ceramic Cell with a Spin-Coated BaZr_0.1Ce_0.7Y_0.2O_3−δ Electrolyte Thin Film

Slurry spin coating is an effective approach for the fabrication of protonic ceramic electrolyte thin films. However, weak adhesion between the electrode and spin-coated electrolyte layers in electrochemical cells due to the low sinterability of the proton-conducting perovskite materials usually lead to a high interfacial resistance and thus a low performance. Herein, we report a method to improve the interfacial connection and boost the performance of protonic ceramic cells based on a BaZr_0.1Ce_0.7Y_0.2O_3−δ (BZCY) electrolyte. Ni-BZCY anode functional layer, BZCY electrolyte layer and La_0.6Sr_0.4Co_0.2Fe_0.8O_3−δ-BZCY cathode functional layer are all fabricated by slurry spin coating. The electrode functional layers and the components of the electrolyte slurry influence the microstructure of the single cell and the kinetics of the electrochemical processes significantly. A peak power density of 2345 mW cm^-2 is achieved at 700 °C in the fuel cell mode, and a current density of -3.0 A cm^-2 is obtained at an applied voltage of 1.3 V in the electrolysis mode.