Abstract
The Ruddlesden‒Popper phases pertain to numerous promising materials with the mixed ionic-electronic conductivity used in devices such as oxygen-conducting membranes, solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), and electrolyzers, which operate in the intermediate temperature region. Their high total conductivity and oxygen mobility make these materials candidates for the mentioned applications. The structure, the oxygen mobility, and the electrochemical characteristics of the promising materials La1.7Ca0.3Ni1 – xCuxO4 + δ (x = 0–0.4) are studied. According to the high-precision XRD data, all synthesized materials are single-phased and have the tetragonal structure. The unit cell parameter c and the cell volume increase upon do** with copper. The content of overstoichiometric interstitial oxygen decreases with do** and the compositions with the high copper content become oxygen deficient. The samples are characterized by the nonuniform oxygen mobility. By and large, the trend for the decrease in the oxygen mobility with the increase in the Cu content is observed in the series of La1.7Ca0.3Ni1 – xCuxO4 + δ samples. By impedance spectroscopy studies, it is shown that the electrodes with the La1.7Ca0.3Ni1 – xCuxO4 + δ functional layers with the copper content x > 0.2 have a higher electrochemical activity. The factors responsible for the efficiency of electrodes are analyzed. The results obtained in this study demonstrate that La1.7Ca0.3Ni0.6Cu0.4O4 + δ materials are the candidates for the air electrodes in electrochemical devices.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We are grateful to the Organizing Committee of the 16th International Meeting “Fundamental Problems of Solid State Ionics” (June 27–July 03, 2022, Chernogolovka, Russia). We would like to thank D.A. Malyshkin (Laboratory of Hydrogen Energetics, Ural Federal University) for his help in carrying out the measurements on the scanning electron microscope.
Funding
The synthesis and the studies of structural and electrochemical properties of materials were carried out in the frames of the state funding for the Institute of High Temperature Electrochemistry, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences (nos. 122020100209-3 and 122020100324-3). The studies of the oxygen mobility were carried out within the frames of state funding for the Institute of Catalysis, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences (nos. АААА-А21-121011390009-1 and АААА-А21-121011390007-7).
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Translated by T. Safonova
Delivered at the 16th International Conference “Basic Problems of Solid-State Ionics,” Chernogolovka, June 27–July 3, 2022.
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Sadykov, V.A., Sadovskaya, E.M., Eremeev, N.F. et al. Structure, Oxygen Mobility, and Electrochemical Characteristics of La1.7Ca0.3Ni1 ‒ xCuxO4 + δ Materials. Russ J Electrochem 59, 37–48 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1023193523010068
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1023193523010068