Lanthanum nickelates and their application in Solid Oxide Cells – The LaNi1-xFexO3 system and other ABO3-type nickelates

The application of doped lanthanum nickelate type perovskites as Solid Oxide Cell (SOC) materials has proven to be an area of significant study in recent years. These materials, in particular LaNi 1-x Fe x O 3 , have gained interest due to their apparent resilience to certain degradation effects. There is, therefore, a suggestion in the academic literature that these materials may find application as oxygen electrode materials for future generations of SOC, with lower degradation rates and longer life-times. However, most of the discussion surrounding these materials does not consider the relative performance of such cells with respect to the state-of-the-art. Several commentators have suggested that the popular La‑nickelates are not feasible as replacements for current materials. Clearly, a material with stable but inferior performance is unlikely to offer a realistic alternative to the current crop of cell materials. However, to contradict this, there have also been numerous studies observing how cell performance may be improved via an appropriate tailoring of the electrode architecture. Here, a consideration on the wide body of literature on ABO 3 -type lanthanum nickelates is provided. This includes an assessment of studies at the fundamental level and with reference to their application in SOC technology. Primarily, this is with reference to LaNi 0.6 Fe 0.4 O 3 where the literature is most substantial. • LaNiO 3 -type perovskites have been well researched in the literature. • LaNi 0.6 Fe 0.4 O 3 has attracted significant interest as an alternative cathode material. • The available data indicates that this material offers inferior performance. • Employment of composite or infiltrated electrodes helps to improve performance. • Long-term degradation studies suggest a long-term benefit can be obtained.