Unlocking superior performance of La 0.6 Sr 0.4 Fe 0.33 Co 0.33 Mn 0.33 O 3–δ air electrode via modified synthesis and nanocatalyst infiltration

The development of high-performance air electrodes operating at reduced temperatures remains a critical challenge for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). In this study a dual-engineering strategy combining modification of the synthesis procedure with nanocatalyst infiltration to enhance performance of a multicomponent perovskite air electrode is reported. La0.60Sr0.40Fe0.33Co0.33Mn0.33O3–δ (LSFCM) material with configurational entropy of 1.1R was synthesized via a novel glycine-urea-assisted combustion method. Comprehensive investigation of combustion synthesis parameters revealed that fuel composition critically governs phase purity, with oxygen availability during combustion determining the formation of LaSrFeO4 secondary phase. The glycine-urea route after calcination at 800 °C yielded LSFCM (21.19 m2/g) with minor amount of SrCO3, which was successfully eliminated during short-term sintering at 1100 °C without quenching. Electrochemical characterization in contact with Ce0.8Sm0.2O1.9 electrolyte demonstrated that electrodes fabricated from glycine-urea synthesized powder exhibited polarization resistance of 0.28/1.27 Ω cm2 at 800/700 °C. Infiltration of nanocatalysts enhanced the electrode performance at decreased temperatures. With PrOₓ activation the LSFCM electrodes demonstrated Rp in the range of 0.58–0.93 Ω cm2 at 600 °C depending on material synthesis and applied collector. Stability testing over 500 hours in ambient and wet air atmospheres confirmed exceptional durability of PrOx electrode. This study demonstrates that integrating an optimized synthesis route for multicomponent perovskites with nanocatalyst infiltration offers a promising strategy for developing high-performance, stable air electrodes for intermediate- and low-temperature SOFCs.