Conformal Nanocoating at the Electrode-Electrolyte Interface for Active and Durable Solid Oxide Electrochemical Cells.

Yoo, Hyun Sik; Jung, Yuhan; Kim, Yongguk; Kim, Joon Gyu; Bang, Sehee; Bae, Min Hyung; Kim, Soyeon; Hong, Jaewoon et al. · ACS Nano · 2026

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Solid oxide electrochemical cells (SOECs) are promising energy conversion devices for efficient power generation and green hydrogen production. However, their widespread adoption has been hindered by limited performance, long-term durability, and the lack of scalable fabrication strategies to address these challenges. In this study, we present a practical and scalable approach to interface engineering through the conformal deposition of an ∼50 nm thick La<sub>0.6</sub>Sr<sub>0.4</sub>CoO<sub>3</sub> (LSC) nanocoating on a three-dimensional porous Gd<sub>0.1</sub>Ce<sub>0.9</sub>O<sub>1.95</sub> interlayer via electrostatic spray deposition. The conformal LSC nanocoating maximizes interfacial contact coverage and enlarges electrochemically active reaction sites, resulting in substantial performance enhancement. At 700 °C, the LSC-coated cell exhibits a peak power density of 1.46 W/cm<sup>2</sup> in the fuel cell mode and a current density of 1.78 A/cm<sup>2</sup> at 1.3 V in the electrolysis cell mode. Furthermore, the LSC nanocoating effectively mitigates the electrode-electrolyte delamination, maintaining stable operation during sequential high-current operation at 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 A/cm<sup>2</sup> for 100 h at each current density. This work establishes a generalizable and manufacturable strategy for producing high-performance, durable, and industrially viable SOECs through scalable nanoscale interface engineering.