Paper SP+AS+BI+ET+MI+TF-WeA3
Probing Electrochemical Phenomena in Reactive Environments at High Temperature: In Situ Characterization of Interfaces in Fuel Cells

Wednesday, October 31, 2012, 2:40 pm, Room 16

Many strategies for advances in energy related processes involve high temperatures and reactive environments. Fuel cell operation, chemical catalysis, and certain approaches to energy harvesting are examples. Scanning probe microscopy provides a large toolbox of local and often atomic resolution measurements of phenomena at a scale that enables understanding of complex processes involved in many systems. Inherent challenges exist, however, in applying these techniques to the realistic conditions under which these processes operate. To overcome some of these challenges, we have designed a system that allows SPM at temperatures to 850° C in reactive gas environments. This is demonstrated with the characterization of an operating fuel cell. Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) offer the highest conversion efficiencies with operating temperatures ranging from 400° C - 1000° C; and operate under variable gaseous fuel environments – H₂-based environments (anode side) and O₂-based environments (cathode side). Topography and the temperature dependence of surface potential are compared to impedance. While not (yet) at atomic levels of spatial resolution, these probes are at the scale to examine local interface properties.