Metal-Oxide Doping Effects on Fuel Cell Efficiency of Perovskite-based Electrode Material

Abstract

In today's society, renewable energy sources are becoming increasingly significant. If climate change is to be averted, they will be critical in the near future. Fuel cells have aroused a lot of interest in this business because of their high conversion efficiency when compared to traditional energy conversion methods. Because of its low hazardous emissions, pollution, fuel adaptability, and cost-effective components, SOFCs are importance source for energy conversion technologies. Some issues, such as the fact that SOFC activity is reduced at low temperatures due to interfacial polarization blockages and the oxygen reduction process, have yet to be resolved (ORR). Lithium has been used as a replacement. To improve activity and ORR, a Coper Ferrite (Li1Cu1-yFeyO3) perovskite type cathode material was developed. The produced material is lithium substituted Coper Ferrite (Li1Cu1-yFeyO3) (LCF), with y=0.1, 0.3, and 0.5. With the sol-gel technique all the samples are synthesized. The functions of cathode materials (Li1Cu1-yFeyO3) (LCF) are investigated in this study. Raman spectra of LCF cathodes reveal strong bands at wavelengths of 192cm-1, 326cm-1, 558cm-1, 778cm-1, and 1109cm-1, revealing tetragonal coper ferrites, lithium oxide, and asymmetric stretching vibration of the Fe-O bond in the FeO6 octahedral site. Strong peaks at 671cm-1, 841cm-1, and 1422cm-1 were found in the cathode material, which were attributed to Fe+3 and O stretching at tetrahedral sites, lithium oxide displaying octahedral sites, and symmetric vibration of nitrate groups. Tauc plot is used to calculate the band gap energy of Li1Cu0.9 Fe0.1, Li1Cu0.7Fe0.3, and Li1Cu0.5Fe0.5cathode materials. The direct and indirect band gaps are 3.6eV, 3.80eV, 3.73eV; 4.05eV, 4.04eV, 4.04eV. The LiCu0.9Fe0.1O3–δ (LCF) has maximum conductivity of 8.1Scm-1 at 700°C.