Electrospinning of Sm0.5Sr0.5CoO3-δ nanofiber cathode for solid oxide fuel cells

Sm 0.5 Sr 0.5 CoO 3-δ (SSC) fiber-electrode materials were prepared via electrospinning in this work. The characteristics of SSC fibers are influenced by the parameters of electrospinning, specifically the nitrate concentration of the spinning solution, applied voltage, and the gap between the spinneret and collector. The as-prepared SSC fibers exhibited average diameters ranging from 240 nm to 6.49 μm, which contracted to 50 nm–2.53 μm after calcination at 800 °C. Symmetric cells with SSC fiber-electrodes demonstrated an area-specific resistance (ASR) ranging from 0.212 to 0.508 Ω cm 2 at 700 °C in air. In addition to the morphology of SSC fibers, the average grain size of the SSC fibers also exhibited potential influence on their ASR performance.