Nanoscale SOFC electrode architecture engineered using atomic layer deposition

1. A method, comprising:

forming a surface-modifying phase on a surface of a functional electrode via atomic layer deposition;

controlling the chemistry of the surface modifying phase, the crystalline nature of the surface modifying phase and thickness of the surface-modifying phase via the atomic layer deposition, the thickness being controlled to be within a range of about 2 nm to about 200 nm;

establishing a nano-grained porous ionic conductor surface network on the surface of the functional electrode which increases a triple phase boundary density of the functional electrode; and

wherein the surface-modifying phase enhances a performance of electrocatalytic activity of the functional electrode.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying one or more thermal treatments to the surface-modifying phase.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface-modifying phase comprises at least one of: (1) a plurality of discrete nano-particles of an ionic conductor, (2) a plurality of discrete nano-particles of an electrocatalyst, (3) a continuous nano-scale porous single phase ionic conductor network, (4) a continuous nano-scale porous single-phase electrocatalyst, or (5) a nano-composite scaffold composed of multiple phases selected from the above (1)-(4).

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the ionic conductors may comprise at least one of: pure ZrO 2 , doped ZrO 2 , pure CeO 2 , doped CeO 2 , pure LaGaO 3 , doped LaGaO 3 , pure Ba 2 In 2 O 5 , doped Ba 2 In 2 O 5 , BaZrO 3 , or doped BaZrO 3 .

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the continuous nano-scale porous single phase ionic conductor network may comprise at least one of: pure ZrO 2 , doped ZrO 2 , pure CeO 2 , doped CeO 2 , BaZrO 3 , doped BaZrO 3 , pure LaGaO 3 , doped LaGaO 3 , pure Ba 2 In 2 O 5 , or doped Ba 2 In 2 O 5 .

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein discrete nano-particles of an electrocatalyst may comprise at least one of: cobalt oxide, ferrite, La x Sr 1-x MnO 3 (LSM), La x Sr 1-x CoO 3 (LSC), La x Sr 1-x Co y Fe 1-y MnO 3 (LSCF), Pt, Ru Pd, or Pt—Ru alloy.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein the nano-composite scaffold comprises a nano-ionic conductor network and a nano catalyst.

8. The method of claim 3 , wherein the nano-composite scaffold comprises a nano electrocatalyst network and a nano catalyst.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface modifying phase comprises a plurality of phases, and wherein forming the surface-modifying phase further comprises:

depositing a first surface-modifying phase comprising a plurality of isolated and discrete particles, a porous connected network, and a continuous layer of an electrocatalyst; and

depositing a second surface-modifying phase comprising an electrolyte over the first surface-modifying phase,

wherein the second surface-modifying phase fills in one or more gaps in the first surface-modifying phase.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface modifying phase comprises a plurality of phases, and wherein forming the surface-modifying phase further comprises:

depositing a first surface-modifying phase comprising an ionic conductor; and

depositing a second surface-modifying phase over the first surface-modifying phase, the second surface-modifying phase comprising a plurality of isolated and discrete particles of an electrocatalyst.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thickness is between about 2 nm to about 100 nm.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thickness is between about 2 nm to about 40 nm.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thickness is between about 2 nm to about 20 nm.