Textured La2NiO4+δ membrane with enhanced oxygen permeability

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Armin Feldhoff
• Subject Area: Physical Chemistry of Solids and Surfaces, Material Characterisation ; Synthesis and Properties of Functional Materials
• Term: from 2020 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 435833397

• Final Report Year: 2024

Final Report Abstract

We have successfully produced textured ceramic membranes employing the Ruddlesden- Popper-phases La2NiO4+δ and Nd2NiO4+δ. The texturing process involved the utilization of plate-like particles derived from the molten-flux synthesis, nanorods synthesized via reverse microemulsion, and the application of magnetic fields. The incorporation of La2NiO4+δ plates from molten flux synthesis in the preparation of the textured membranes resulted in a reduction in oxygen permeation. This outcome stemmed from the unfavorable orientation of the platelike crystals to the oxygen permeation direction. The particles were aligned along the c-axis by the pressing force during pressing. Texturing along the a,b-plane remains a challenge. It requires larger sintered bodies, which can be made accessible by other advanced sintering techniques, such as spark-plasma sintering. Both the utilization of reverse microemulsion-synthesized La2NiO4+δ nanorods and the magnetic alignment of Nd2NiO4+δ grains led to an improvement in the oxygen permeation fluxes. Additionally, the texturing achieved through magnetic fields in Nd2NiO4+δ proved effective in preparing both asymmetric and bulk symmetric ceramic membranes. Because of the enhanced oxygen permeation performance facilitated by texturing, materials like La2NiO4+δ, and Nd2NiO4+δ represent promising candidates for electrocatalysis and the development of improved solid oxide electrochemical cells (e.g. fuel cells or electrolyzers).

Publications

• Sol–Gel-Process-Based Molten-Flux Synthesis of Plate-like La2NiO4+δ Particles. Crystals, 12(10), 1346.
  Escobar, Cano Giamper; Brinkmann, Yannick; Zhao, Zhijun; Kißling, Patrick A. & Feldhoff, Armin
  
• Multiplying Oxygen Permeability of a Ruddlesden‐Popper Oxide by Orientation Control via Magnets. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 63(8).
  Zhao, Zhijun; Chen, Guoxing; Escobar, Cano Giamper; Kißling, Patrick A.; Stölting, Oliver; Breidenstein, Bernd; Polarz, Sebastian; Bigall, Nadja C.; Weidenkaff, Anke & Feldhoff, Armin
  
• Towards the development of textured polycrystalline La2NiO4+δ membranes and their oxygen-transporting properties. Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry, 29(12), 4997-5010.
  Escobar, Cano Giamper; Zhao, Zhijun; Riebesehl, Fabian; Stölting, Oliver; Breidenstein, Bernd & Feldhoff, Armin