Doped perovskite metal oxide catalysts of the form A(BxM1-x)O3-δhave been instrumental in the development of solid oxide electrolyzers/fuel cells. In addition, this material class has also been demonstrated to be effective as a heterogeneous catalyst. Co-doped barium niobate perovskites have shown remarkable stability in highly acidic CO2sensing measurements/environments (1). However, the reason for their chemical stability is not well understood. Doping with transition metal cations for B site cations often leads to exsolution under reducing conditions. Many perovskites used for the oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) or the electrochemical oxidative coupling of methane (E-OCM) either lack long term stability, or catalytic activity within these highly reducing methane environments. The Mg and Fe co-doped barium niobate BaMg0.33Nb0.67-xFexO3-δshown activity in E-OCM reactors over long periods (2) (>100 hrs) with no iron metal exsolution observed by diffraction or STEM EDX measurements. In contrast, iron decorated BaMg0.33Nb0.67O3showed little C2 conversion activity.
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Role of Dopants in Fine-Tuning the Electrical and Catalytic Properties of Barium Niobate Perovskites Towards High-Temperature Electrolyzer Application
Perovskite materials are used for high temperature electrochemical applications such as solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) and electrolyzers due to their tunable conductivity and catalytic activity. However, high temperature operation poses significant challenges in both fabrication and durable operation that is further complicated by the operating environment. We studied barium niobates with various A and B site dopants. These doped niobates showed enhanced thermochemical stability in SOFC relevant conditions and catalytic activity towards methane activation. The redox behavior of the Nb4+/5+couple seem to be at a key reason behind this redox stability while the size and electronegativity of the dopants affect the electrical properties. The chemical stability was analyzed by TGA measurements followed by analysis of the perovskite powders using PXRD measurements. Impedance measurements were utilized to analyze their electrical conductivity. Our results demonstrate doped barium niobates as a promising candidate for stable operation in high temperature electrochemical applications.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1828731
- PAR ID:
- 10487370
- Publisher / Repository:
- IOP Science
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- ECS Transactions
- Volume:
- 111
- Issue:
- 6
- ISSN:
- 1938-5862
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1139 to 1144
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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