Atomic Layer Deposition for Surface Engineering of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Electrodes

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) has recently attracted attention as a technique to synthesize and engineer high-performance catalysts and electrodes for fuel cells. Unique advantages of the ALD process include surface conformality and film uniformity along nano-scale features and the ability to deposit one atom layer or less per deposition cycle, enabling atomic-scale modification of the composition and morphology of the material surface. Many recent reports have demonstrated the effectiveness of the ALD surface modification strategy for the development of novel fuel cell materials. For enhancement of fuel cell performance, development of superior electrocatalytic electrodes is essential as a significant portion of energy loss occurs due to the charge transfer reaction either on the surface of electrodes or at the interfaces between electrodes and electrolytes. Therefore, ALD is considered a key fabrication process to design and engineer high-performance fuel cell systems. This review covers the important recent developments advanced electrode materials for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) provided by the unique abilities of ALD for surface engineering and interface modification. Performance enhancement and related mechanisms are also discussed in depth.