The lack of high-performance cathode catalysts is a salient issue that bedeviled the commercialization of protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs). Here, we report a remarkable electrocatalytic activity and stability enhancement of cathode electrodes by engineering a coupled nanocomposite. The as-prepared Pr_0.3(Ba_0.5Sr_0.5)_0.7Co_0.8Fe_0.2O_3−δ nanocomposite possesses a bulk cubic phase on which homogeneous and intimate orthorhombic PrCo_0.5Fe_0.5O_3−δ nanoparticles are uniformly decorated. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy reveal the excellent thermal stability of the nanocomposite. It achieves a high peak power density of 1.02 W cm^–2 based on protonic electrolytes at 600 °C. No noticeable structural degradation is observed over ∼210 h at 550 °C according to scanning electron microscopy analysis. This work demonstrates an effective strategy to boost the performance of perovskite oxides for PCFCs via nanocomposite engineering. It may apply to other catalyst designs and discoveries, such as for batteries, electrolyzers, and membrane reactors.

中文翻译：

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耦合纳米复合材料作为高性能质子陶瓷燃料电池阴极的工程设计


缺乏高性能阴极催化剂是一个突出的问题，困扰着质子陶瓷燃料电池 （PCFC） 的商业化。在这里，我们报道了通过设计耦合纳米复合材料，阴极电极具有显著的电催化活性和稳定性增强。所制备的 Pr_0.3（Ba_0.5Sr_0.5）_0.7Co_0.8Fe_0.2O_3−δ 纳米复合材料具有一个块状立方相，在其上均匀地装饰了均匀和紧密的正交 PrCo_0.5Fe_0.5O_3−δ 纳米颗粒。X 射线衍射和拉曼光谱揭示了纳米复合材料出色的热稳定性。它在 600 °C 时基于质子电解质实现了 1.02 W cm^–2 的高峰值功率密度。 根据扫描电子显微镜分析，在 550 °C 下 ∼210 小时内未观察到明显的结构降解。这项工作展示了一种通过纳米复合材料工程提高钙钛矿氧化物用于 PCFC 性能的有效策略。它可能适用于其他催化剂设计和发现，例如电池、电解槽和膜反应器。