Raman spectroscopy study of SOFC electrode surfaces

Abstract

Raman spectroscopy has been applied to probe and map surface species and incipient phases on the surfaces of electrodes in fuel cells, batteries, and supercapacitors under different conditions. In this presentation, we report our recent progress in the development of surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for enhancement of sensitivity to surface species and incipient phases on materials used in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC). In particular, we demonstrated that SiO2 shell isolated Ag nanoparticles have excellent thermal robustness and chemical stability for SERS study of electrode materials at high temperatures, providing information vital to understanding the mechanisms of materials performance and degradation, thus offering critical insights for rational design of new materials with higher functionalities and performance.