Publication date: 21st July 2025
Exsolution-driven formation of catalytically active nanoparticles from oxide hosts offers a novel strategy for developing robust, multifunctional materials in energy conversion technologies such as solid oxide cells and gas separation membranes [1-2]. In this work, the exsolution of noble and transition metals (M = Pt, Pd, Fe, Cu, Ni) from yttrium-doped barium cerate–zirconate perovskites (BaCe1-x-y-zZryYzMxO3−δ) and gadolinium-doped ceria fluorites (Ce1-x-yGdyMxO2−δ), was investigated. Dense polycrystalline pellets were fabricated by conventional dry pressing followed by high-temperature sintering, starting from as-synthesised powders obtained by different wet-chemical routes (e.g. sol-gel, microwave-assisted synthesis). Exsolution processes were systematically studied under reducing atmospheres at various temperatures (600 – 900 °C) using SEM-EDX and XRD, aiming to correlate the role of dopant chemistry and concentration in governing nanoparticle nucleation, spatial distribution, and thermal stability. Moreover, preliminary anelastic spectroscopy and dielectric measurements were performed for the first time on BaCe0.7Zr0.1Y0.15Ni0.05O3−δ. Anelastic spectroscopy probes the dynamic response of the lattice to stress perturbations and is particularly sensitive to point-defect mobility and defect–lattice interactions, providing complementary information to dielectric relaxation [3]. The combination of these techniques yielded deeper insights into the interplay between defect chemistry, transport properties, and nanoparticle exsolution. This integrated approach provides guidelines for tailoring host–dopant interactions to achieve stable and finely dispersed nanoparticles, ultimately enabling the development of next-generation mixed ionic–electronic conductors for gas separation membranes and solid oxide electrochemical devices.
This work has been funded by the agreement between the Italian Ministry for the Environment and Energy Security and the Italian National Research Council ‘‘Ricerca di sistema elettrico nazionale’’, in the frame of the project “Frontier materials for energy applications” and by the European Union – NextGeneration EU from the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security POR H2 AdP MMES/ENEA with involvement of CNR and RSE, PNRR - Mission 2, Component 2, Investment 3.5 “Ricerca e sviluppo sull’idrogeno”, CUP: B93C22000630006.
The authors also acknowledge Project code PE0000021, Concession Decree No. 1561 of 11.10.2022 adopted by Ministero dell’Università e della Ricerca (MUR), CUP B53C22004060006, Project title “Network 4 Energy Sustainable Transition—NEST”, funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3—Call for tender No. 1561 of 11.10.2022 of Ministero dell’Università e della Ricerca (MUR), funded by the European Union—NextGenerationEU.
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