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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 February 2011
Lanthanum gallate is a promising material for “monolithic” fuel cells or oxygen pumps, i.e. one in which the electrolyte and electrodes are formed from a common phase. We have investigated La1−xSrxGa1–yNiyO3 (LSGNx-y) with x=0.1 and y=0.2 and 0.5 as a potential cathode material for such an electrochemical device. The σ(PO2,T) for LSGN10–20 points to a p-type electronic conductivity at high PO2 and predominantly ionic conductivity at low PO2. LSGN10–50 has an electronic conductivity suitable for SOFC applications of approximately 50 S/cm in air at high temperature. AC impedance spectroscopy on an electron blocking cell of the form M/LSG/LSGN/LSG/M was used to isolate the ionic conductivity in the LSGN10–20 material. The ionic conductivity was found to have a similar magnitude and activation energy to that of undoped LSG material with σi= 0.12 S/cm at 800°C and EA= 1.0 ± 0.1 eV. Thermal expansion measurements on the LSGN materials were characterized as a function of temperature and dopant level and were found to match that of the electrolyte under opeating conditions.