Advanced fuel cell based on semiconductor perovskite La–BaZrYO_3-δ as an electrolyte material operating at low temperature 550 °C

As an electrolyte, enough ionic conductivity, either proton (H⁺) or oxide (O²⁻) conduction, has demanded the better performance of low-temperature (especially below 550 °C) solid oxide fuel cell (LT-SOFCs). Notably, that either conductivity, higher performance, reliability, or higher cost is hampering the LT-SOFC marketing. In our current subject, we report the La-doped BZY proton conductor as an electrolyte has exhibited high ionic conductivity of 0.15 S/cm with a higher performance of 0.78 W/cm² at 550 °C. Also, the performance of LBZY is superior to the un-doped BZY electrolyte. Such high performance mainly ascribed due to the doping of La into BZY. Besides, the mechanism for high ion conductivity is explained. This work manifests that using the LBZY semiconductor perovskite as an electrolyte is more suitable for fuel cell technology.