Preparation and performance of intermediate-temperature fuel cells based on Gd-doped ceria electrolytes with different compositions

Abstract In this work, the effect of two frequently used Gd x Ce 1− x O 2− x /2 electrolytes ( x  = 0.1 and x  = 0.2) on the performance of fuel cells operated at intermediate temperature was studied. The microstructures of ceria electrolytes responsible for the performance were discussed. Electrochemical measurements of as-prepared cells showed that the cell with Gd 0.2 Ce 0.8 O 1.9 electrolyte had a better performance than that of Gd 0.1 Ce 0.9 O 1.95 . It can be concluded that the increase of grain boundary conductivity of Gd 0.2 Ce 0.8 O 1.9 electrolyte contributes to its better cell performance.