Double perovskite decorated with in situ exsolved Fe nanoparticles as active catalyst for CO₂ electrolysis

The double perovskite (Pr0.5Ba0.5)1.8Fe1.8Mn0.2O5-delta decorated with in situ exsolved Fe nanoparticles (Fe@PBFM) was used as the cathode in a solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) to convert CO2 to CO and exhibited high efficiency and stability. This catalyst is synthesized from the simple perovskite (Pr0.5Ba0.5)0.9Fe0.9Mn0.1O3-delta (PBFM) by annealing it under an H2-N2 atmosphere at 850 degrees C for 15 h. The cell fabricated with the Fe@PBFM cathode shows a higher current density of 1.6 A/cm2 at 850 degrees C and 1.8 V than the cell with the unreduced PBFM. The increased current density can be attributed to the in situ exsolved Fe nanoparticles and generation of the Fe@PBFM double perovskite. Furthermore, the cell containing this active catalyst exhibits stable CO2 electrolysis performance for 100 h at a stable voltage of 1.3 V, suggesting that Fe@PBFM is an attractive candidate as SOEC cathode for CO2 electrolysis.