LAUSR

Abstract This work presents novel approach for the development of carbon free ceramic gas diffusion electrode (GDE) for rechargeable Zn-air battery with good catalytic activity and enhanced stability, durability and performance, eliminating the disadvantages of the traditionally used carbon based electrode. Planar “monolithic” design is proposed in which both the gas diffusion and the catalytic layer are incorporated in a common body fabricated from commercial perovskites Lanthanum Strontium Manganite (LSM) and Lanthanum Strontium Cobalt Ferrite (LSCF). Original procedure for impregnation of the porous ceramic matrix with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) emulsion ensuring coverage of the pores surface in the volume of the ceramic structure to a certain depth, and thus forming the hydrophobic gas diffusion layer, is developed. The rest of the volume, which is not impregnated, presents the catalytic layer. The optimized impregnation ensures the needed gas permeability. For electrochemical evaluation a Baseline (BL) carbon electrode with registered 700 charge/discharge cycles is used. The GDE fabricated from LSM shows electrochemical behavior similar to that of the BL. The cycling experiments confirmed 1000 cycles stable operation which corresponds to about 45% improved durability. The results show that the proposed technological approach is promising and should be further scaled up.