In situ self-assembled Fe–Co–Ni–Cu multi-metal nanoparticles modified high catalytic activity electrodes for symmetric solid oxide fuel cells

The development of electrode materials with high catalytic activity at intermediate temperature (600–800 °C) is essential for improving the output performance of solid oxide fuel cells. Here, we report low cobalt-based Sr 2 Fe 1.5-3x Ni x Cu x Co x Mo 0.5 O 6 (x = 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, SF x NCCM) as symmetrical electrode materials. With effective control of the anode side, Fe–Co–Ni–Cu nanoparticles precipitate from and are uniformly distributed across the parent surface, enhancing the electrode material's electrochemical performance. The output performance of single cell is better than that of Sr 2 Fe 1.5 Mo 0.5 O 6-δ symmetric cell without nanoparticle modification. In addition, the maximum power densities of the single cell with ∼300 μm thick Ce 0.9 Gd 0.1 O 1.95 as electrolyte and SF x NCCM as symmetrical electrode material reached 750, 620 and 621 mW cm −2 at 800 °C, respectively. The reversibility of nanoparticles exsolution and phase structure transformation are confirmed. The in-situ self-assembled electrode materials reported in this study provide a foundation for future research on fuel cell electrodes.