Properties of Ceria Based Novel Anode Nanopowders Synthesized by Glycine-Nitrate Process

Novel anode nanopowder materials consisting of ceria-based components synthesized by glycine-nitrate process were investigated for solid oxide fuel cells. Glycine-nitrate process involves a self-combustion reaction at 220C of water-based nitrate and glycine solutions which subsequently can reach up to 1200°C. The resulting morphology, the size of particles and the formation of crystalline phases were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method and Nanosizer. It was determined that dopants in ceria such as Co, Ni, Cu, V and Fe had significant effect on the morphology and size. The size distribution measured by Nanosizer was 50-600 nm, transmission electron microscopy, 5-200 nm and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method 100-120 nm and specific surface area of powders in the range 67.45-72.05 $m^2 g^{-1}$ as measured by the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method. Particles were observed to have spherical structures for Cu and Fe doped powders and rod-shaped in a porous tuff microstructure for those doped with Co and Ni. Vanadium doping helped to decrease the porosity and initiated the process of spheroidization of particles.