Inkjet-printed Ag@SDC core-shell nanoparticles as a high-performance cathode for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells

Abstract This work demonstrates the superior thermostability of silver-based nanoparticle cathodes under continuous solid oxide fuel cell operation by coating the samarium-doped ceria (SDC) thin shell over silver nanoparticles. The Ag-core/SDC-shell (Ag@SDC) nanoparticles prepared by solvothermal synthesis (Ag core diameter = 48 nm; average SDC shell thickness = 2–5 nm) is inkjet-printed on electrolyte substrates as a thin film cathode. The Ag@SDC film survives the 48-h thermal annealing and its most porosities remain visibly un-agglomerated. The results of fuel cell current stability test show that the cell using the Ag@SDC nanoparticle cathode have only 3% of current degradation after 25 h, which is remarkably lower than that of the cell using the bare Ag nanoparticle cathode (96.1%). In addition, the electrochemical performance of the bare silver cathode in oxygen reduction reaction has significantly improved because of the enhanced surface oxygen adsorption/dissociation process provided by the SDC thin shell.