Measuring individual overpotentials in an operating solid-oxide electrochemical cell
Journal article, 2010

We use photo-electrons as a non-contact probe to measure local electrical potentials in a solid-oxide electrochemical cell. We characterize the cell in operando at near-ambient pressure using spatially-resolved X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. The overpotentials at the interfaces between the Ni and Pt electrodes and the yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte are directly measured. The method is validated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Using the overpotentials, which characterize the cell’s inefficiencies, we compare without ambiguity the electro-catalytic efficiencies of Ni and Pt, finding that on Ni H2O splitting proceeds more rapidly than H2 oxidation, while on Pt, H2 oxidation proceeds more rapidly than H2O splitting.

Author

Farid El Gabaly

Anthony McDaniel

Michael Grass

Zhi Liu

Henrick Bluhm

Mark Linne

Chalmers, Applied Mechanics, Combustion and Propulsion Systems

Zahid Hussain

Roger Farrow

Kevin McCarty

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics

1463-9076 (ISSN) 1463-9084 (eISSN)

Vol. 12 38 12138-12145

Subject Categories

Other Physics Topics

DOI

10.1039/c003581e

More information

Latest update

8/2/2018 6