Electrospun yttria-stabilized zirconia nanofibers for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells

Abstract

We report a 3.5-fold improvement in the performance of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) operating at 450 degrees C with the introduction of electrospun yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) nanofiber interlayers between the electrolyte and cathode. YSZ nanofibers with diameters of 150-200 nm were uniformly deposited with various thicknesses on a single-crystal YSZ substrate. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analyses revealed a drastically reduced polarization resistance, which was mainly attributed to the high specific surface area and high porosity of the YSZ nanofiber interlayers. Our results demonstrate the possibility of using YSZ nanofibers for the development of high-performance SOFCs at low temperature.