MSE PhD Final Defense: Kaixin Suo

MSE PhD Final Defense: Kaixin Suo

TITLE: Functional Oxide Coatings for High Performance Solid Oxide Cell Systems

ADVISOR: Soumendra N. Basu ME,MSE

CHAIR: TBD

CHAIR: Chuanhua Duan ME, MSE

COMMITTEE: Uday B. Pal ME, MSE; Srikanth Gopalan ME, MSE; Jörg Werner ME, MSE, Chemistry

ABSTRACT: Solid oxide cells (SOCs) are promising energy conversion devices, but their long-term durability is limited by surface and interface related degradation. This work aims to improve SOC performance and stability through functional oxide coatings designed for different cell components. Two complementary surface modification strategies, alternating current electrophoretic deposition (AC-EPD) and atomic layer deposition (ALD), were investigated. AC-EPD was used to deposit protective spinel coatings on porous metal supports to mitigate chromium poisoning of the air electrode. ALD deposition of thin conformal coatings on the porous metal support with finer porous structures was also investigated. In addition, ALD-deposition of ultra-thin gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC) coatings on porous Ni–YSZ fuel electrodes was explored with the goal of improving electrode reaction kinetics and to alleviate Ni coarsening. Overall, this work demonstrates the potential of functional oxide coatings to mitigate degradation, modify electrochemical reaction surfaces, and improve the durability of SOC systems. The development of AC-EPD spinel coatings, ALD Mn–Co–O coatings, and ALD-GDC modified Ni–YSZ electrodes, and their effects on reducing the degradation rates of the SOC devices will be discussed.