Electrochemical performance of Cu-doped R-P type perovskite Pr 2 Ni 1-x Cu x O 4+δ as an anode material for solid oxide electrolysis cells

Abstract In solid oxide electrolytic cells, the performance of the anode material determines the electrolytic efficiency of SOECs. Pr 2 Ni 1-x Cu x O 4+δ (PNCO-x, x=0-0.4) layered perovskite materials were synthesized as the oxygen electrode of solid oxide electrolytic cells. XRD analysis indicates that Cu doping can reduce lattice distortion, make the structure more symmetrical, and thereby enhance the oxygen diffusion performance of the material. The XPS results show that incorporating Cu into the Pr 2 NiO 4+δ material can increase the average valence states of O ads and Ni elements, thereby promoting the activity of the oxygen reduction reaction. Among them, the Pr 2 Ni 0.8 Cu 0.2 O 4+δ material has the best oxygen evolution reaction catalytic activity and the most excellent electrochemical performance. Conductivity analysis indicates that the doping of Cu effectively enhances the conductivity of the material, meeting the operational requirements of SOEC. Finally, impedance tests were conducted on the symmetrical battery. The impedance of Pr 2 Ni 0.8 Cu 0.2 O 4+δ at 800 °C is only 0.055 Ω·cm 2 .