Preparation of honeycomb porous solid oxide fuel cell cathodes by breath figures method

Honeycomb porous LSM/YSZ composite cathodes are prepared using the breath figures (BFs) method with nontoxic and easily available water droplets as templates. They were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Experimental results indicate that 1) ambient temperature, relative humidity, and thickness of the slurry have significant influence on the morphology of porous membrane; 2) the membrane with a thickness of 35 μm prepared at 35 °C and relative humidity of 70-75% shows the lowest polarization resistance between the LSM/YSZ composite cathode and YSZ electrolyte; and 3) the honeycomb structure of composite cathodes is favorable for lowering the low-frequency resistance concerning diffusion processes at relatively low operating temperatures of 650 and 700 °C.