SYNTHESIS & APPLICATION

OF EMERGING FUEL CELL

MATERIAL
Alexia Popescu, Niles West High School
March 16, 2019
Positive Impact: Addressing Power Outages

Nationally Globally
March 2, 2018: September 6, 2018:
U.S. East Coast Japan
(+2 million w/o power) from (~3 million w/o power) from Hokkaido
Nor’Easter storm earthquake

March 7, 2019:
April 12, 2018:
Puerto Rico Venezuela
(+20 million) from explosion at national
(+850,000) from Hurricane Maria
power station
 -U.S. Department of Energy, 2010

Energy independence
Solid oxide
fuel cells (SOFC)

Reliable
back-up
energy
 How It Works:
-Brown, et.al. 2012

chemical
H2+O2→H2O ↓
“reverse electrolysis” electrical
Need:
anode
material
-Aguadero, et. al. 2011, & Childs et. al. 2013

Emerging SOFC Material: SrVxMoδ-xO3

Strontium vanadium molybdate
■ Advantages
– Chemical expansion
matching
– Sulfur-tolerant
– Coking-tolerant
– Excellent conductivity
Research Problem
Improve SOFC
performance

Improve emerging
SOFC material

Design synthesis
process of SrVMo
Goal of Synthesis Perovskite
phase of SrVM
SrV0.5Mo0.5O3
Higher
conductivity

Higher
performance
 Design Plan
Synthesis
Phase
Characterization Change
synthesis
≥95%
Perovskite? No conditions

Yes Apply in SOFC

(end goal)
 Synthesis: Solid State Process
Mass powders
Add ethanol + Ball-mill
Furnace
(Synthesize)

• Oxide forms
of precursor
powders *All experiments conducted with personal protective equipment and in fume hood
 XRD
-Knight, et.al. 2017
Characterization:
X-ray Diffraction
• To determine phases
• Percent-perovskite
 Changing Conditions of Synthesis
Temperature AND Atmosphere

air
5% H2 100% H2

1000°C 1200°C
 XRD Results for Solid State Process
Conclusions:
• Increase
temperature
• H2, not air
(reducing atm.)
intensity

• Solid state,
mostly undesired
phase → try new
synthesis process

Note: Peaks aligning with indicate perovskite phase

 Synthesis: Citrate Technique
Mass powders Add citric acid + stir + heat → gel

Furnace Oven
• Nitrate
forms of
precursor
powders
Changing Conditions of Synthesis
Temperature AND Atmosphere

1200°C 5% H2
1% H2 0.1% H2
 XRD Results for Citrate Technique
Conclusions:
• Use lower % for
more control
• Mo reduces
quickly
(sensitive to
intensity

changes in
reducing atm.)
• Still a lot of
undesired
phase
Note: Peaks aligning with indicate perovskite phase
New Approach
• High impurity,
possibly caused by
oxides melting
before synthesis Chemical Melting
Material
Form Temperature
(℃)
• Research melting Vanadium V2O5 680
temperatures Pentoxide
Molybdenum MoO3 795
• Synthesize Trioxide

accordingly Strontium
Carbonate
SrCO3 1497
 Qualitative Results for New Approach
1→2→ 3 1→2→3→4 1→2→3→4→5 Highest Yielding
Step-Sequence
1) 600C 12hr air
2) 600C 12hr 5%H2
3) 750C 12hr 5%H2
4) 1200C 12hr 5% H2
5) 1200C 12hr 5% H2

Chemical Form Melting

Temperature (℃)
V 2 O5 680
MoO3 795
SrCO3 1497
• Grinding in between steps to increase mixing
XRD Results for New Approach

1→2→3 1→2→3→4 1→2→3→4→5

 XRD Results for Citrate Technique
Intensity a.u. (counts)

*Error bar

2Θ (°)
*Could be improved with more trials *Error bar
*Future investigation could be taking a computational approach (machine learning)
 Positive Impact
Conclusions:
• When synthesizing SrVMo:
• Use a low reducing atm.
• Use citrate technique rather than
solid state for more complex
syntheses
• Use a multi-step process

• In any synthesis:
• Look at chemical
properties (e.g. melting
temp.) to strategically
develop synthesis process
Positive Impact
 Thank you for your time!
I’d also especially like to thank the following institutions and people
 References
During presentation:
1. Aguadero, A., de la Calle, C., Pérez‐Coll, D., & Alonso, J. A. (2011). Study of the Crystal
Structure, Thermal Stability and Conductivity of Sr (V0. 5Mo0. 5) O3+ δ as SOFC Material.
Fuel Cells, 11(1), 44-50.
2. Brown, T. L., LeMay, H. E., Bursten, B. E., Murphy, C. J., & Woodward, P. M. (2012). Chemistry:
The Central Science. (12 ed.) Upper Saddle River, Nj: Pearson Prentice Hall.
3. Childs, N. B., Weisenstein, A., Smith, R., Sofie, S., & Key, C. (2013). Electrical conductivity of
Sr2− xVMoO6− y (x= 0.0, 0.1, 0.2) double perovskites. Journal of Applied Physics, 113(24),
243506.
4. DOE, U. (2010). Multi-Year Research, Development and Demonstration Plan: Planned
Program Activities for 2005-2015. US Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy, Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Infrastructure Technologies Program (HFCIT), 1-
34.
5. Knight, R. D., Jones, B., & Field, S. (2017). College physics: a strategic approach. Boston:
Pearson.
-U.S. Department of Energy, 2008

Current SOFC Material: Ni-YSZ

Nickel+yttria-stabilized zirconia
■ Advantages Chemical expansion mismatch
– Good mechanical
properties Heat
– Maintains
geometric stability
■ Disadvantages
Sulfur-poisoning (contamination)
– Chemical
expansion S
S
mismatch

→
(cracking)
– Sulfur-poisoning Heat