Complexions at the Electrolyte/Electrode Interface in Solid Oxide Cells

Advanced Materials Interfaces, vol. 8

Abstract

Abstract Rapid deactivation presently limits a wide spread use of high‐temperature solid oxide cells (SOCs) as otherwise highly efficient chemical energy converters. With deactivation triggered by the ongoing conversion reactions, an atomic‐scale understanding of the active triple‐phase boundary between electrolyte, electrode, and gas phase is essential to increase cell performance. Here, a multi‐method approach is used comprising transmission electron microscopy and first‐principles calculations and molecular simulations to untangle the atomic arrangement of the prototypical SOC interface between a lanthanum strontium manganite (LSM) anode and a yttria‐stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte in the as‐prepared state after sintering. An interlayer of self‐limited width with partial amorphization and strong compositional gradient is identified, thus exhibiting the characteristics of a complexion that is stabilized by the confinement between two bulk phases. This offers a new perspective to understand the function of SOCs at the atomic scale. Moreover, it opens up a hitherto unrealized design space to tune the conversion efficiency.

Authors 13

1. Hanna Türk

   Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society · Technical University of Munich

   Affiliation as printed

   Chair for Theoretical Chemistry and Catalysis Research Center Department of Chemistry Technische Universität München Lichtenbergstraße 4 85748 Garching Germany

   Theory Department Fritz‐Haber‐Institut der Max‐Planck‐Gesellschaft Faradayweg 4–6 14195 Berlin Germany

   Chair for Theoretical Chemistry and Catalysis Research Center Department of Chemistry Technische Universität München Lichtenbergstraße 4 85748 Garching Germany

   Theory Department Fritz‐Haber‐Institut der Max‐Planck‐Gesellschaft Faradayweg 4–6 14195 Berlin Germany

2. Thomas Götsch corresponding

   Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Inorganic Chemistry Fritz‐Haber‐Institut der Max‐Planck‐Gesellschaft Faradayweg 4–6 14195 Berlin Germany

   Department of Inorganic Chemistry Fritz‐Haber‐Institut der Max‐Planck‐Gesellschaft Faradayweg 4–6 14195 Berlin Germany

3. Frank Girgsdies

   Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Inorganic Chemistry Fritz‐Haber‐Institut der Max‐Planck‐Gesellschaft Faradayweg 4–6 14195 Berlin Germany

   Department of Inorganic Chemistry Fritz‐Haber‐Institut der Max‐Planck‐Gesellschaft Faradayweg 4–6 14195 Berlin Germany

4. Adnan Hammud

   Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Inorganic Chemistry Fritz‐Haber‐Institut der Max‐Planck‐Gesellschaft Faradayweg 4–6 14195 Berlin Germany

   Department of Inorganic Chemistry Fritz‐Haber‐Institut der Max‐Planck‐Gesellschaft Faradayweg 4–6 14195 Berlin Germany

5. Danail Ivanov

   Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Inorganic Chemistry Fritz‐Haber‐Institut der Max‐Planck‐Gesellschaft Faradayweg 4–6 14195 Berlin Germany

   Department of Inorganic Chemistry Fritz‐Haber‐Institut der Max‐Planck‐Gesellschaft Faradayweg 4–6 14195 Berlin Germany

6. Izaak C. Vinke

   Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Fundamental Electrochemistry (IEK‐9), Institute of Energy and Climate Research Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH 52425 Jülich Germany

   Fundamental Electrochemistry (IEK‐9), Institute of Energy and Climate Research Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH 52425 Jülich Germany

7. Lambertus G. J. de Haart

   Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Fundamental Electrochemistry (IEK‐9), Institute of Energy and Climate Research Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH 52425 Jülich Germany

   Fundamental Electrochemistry (IEK‐9), Institute of Energy and Climate Research Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH 52425 Jülich Germany

8. Rüdiger‐A. Eichel Aachen Institute of Physical Chemistry

   Forschungszentrum Jülich · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Fundamental Electrochemistry (IEK‐9), Institute of Energy and Climate Research Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH 52425 Jülich Germany

   Institute of Physical Chemistry RWTH Aachen University 52056 Aachen Germany

   Fundamental Electrochemistry (IEK‐9), Institute of Energy and Climate Research Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH 52425 Jülich Germany

   Institute of Physical Chemistry RWTH Aachen University 52056 Aachen Germany

9. Karsten Reuter

   Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society · Technical University of Munich

   Affiliation as printed

   Chair for Theoretical Chemistry and Catalysis Research Center Department of Chemistry Technische Universität München Lichtenbergstraße 4 85748 Garching Germany

   Theory Department Fritz‐Haber‐Institut der Max‐Planck‐Gesellschaft Faradayweg 4–6 14195 Berlin Germany

   Chair for Theoretical Chemistry and Catalysis Research Center Department of Chemistry Technische Universität München Lichtenbergstraße 4 85748 Garching Germany

   Theory Department Fritz‐Haber‐Institut der Max‐Planck‐Gesellschaft Faradayweg 4–6 14195 Berlin Germany

10. Robert Schlögl

    Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society · Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Heterogeneous Reactions Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion Stiftstraße 34–36 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr Germany

    Department of Inorganic Chemistry Fritz‐Haber‐Institut der Max‐Planck‐Gesellschaft Faradayweg 4–6 14195 Berlin Germany

    Department of Heterogeneous Reactions Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion Stiftstraße 34–36 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr Germany

    Department of Inorganic Chemistry Fritz‐Haber‐Institut der Max‐Planck‐Gesellschaft Faradayweg 4–6 14195 Berlin Germany

11. Axel Knop‐Gericke

    Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society · Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Heterogeneous Reactions Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion Stiftstraße 34–36 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr Germany

    Department of Inorganic Chemistry Fritz‐Haber‐Institut der Max‐Planck‐Gesellschaft Faradayweg 4–6 14195 Berlin Germany

    Department of Heterogeneous Reactions Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion Stiftstraße 34–36 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr Germany

    Department of Inorganic Chemistry Fritz‐Haber‐Institut der Max‐Planck‐Gesellschaft Faradayweg 4–6 14195 Berlin Germany

12. Christoph Scheurer

    Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society · Technical University of Munich

    Affiliation as printed

    Chair for Theoretical Chemistry and Catalysis Research Center Department of Chemistry Technische Universität München Lichtenbergstraße 4 85748 Garching Germany

    Theory Department Fritz‐Haber‐Institut der Max‐Planck‐Gesellschaft Faradayweg 4–6 14195 Berlin Germany

    Chair for Theoretical Chemistry and Catalysis Research Center Department of Chemistry Technische Universität München Lichtenbergstraße 4 85748 Garching Germany

    Theory Department Fritz‐Haber‐Institut der Max‐Planck‐Gesellschaft Faradayweg 4–6 14195 Berlin Germany

13. Thomas Lunkenbein

    Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Inorganic Chemistry Fritz‐Haber‐Institut der Max‐Planck‐Gesellschaft Faradayweg 4–6 14195 Berlin Germany

    Department of Inorganic Chemistry Fritz‐Haber‐Institut der Max‐Planck‐Gesellschaft Faradayweg 4–6 14195 Berlin Germany