Remarkable switching of transport properties and surface exchange kinetics in epitaxial PrBaMn2O5+delta films

Double perovskite PrBaMn2O5+δ (PBMO), which demonstrates promising application prospect as ceramic anode material for solid oxide fuel cells, was epitaxially grown on (001) LaAlO3 substrate for determining the nature of surface exchange kinetics and oxygen evolution processes. High-temperature X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transport properties measurement indicated that the oxygen vacancy evolution processes are highly dependent upon the interface strain and temperature. Especially, PBMO thin films show reversible redox reactions in the switches between oxygen and hydrogen atmospheres, and the antiphase domain boundary plays a crucial role in the redox processes. Assembled with YSZ electrolyte, the symmetrical cell shows high efficient processes of surface oxygen exchange and virtue of excellent stability, suggest that PBMO is a good candidate for solid oxide fuel cells and chemical sensors.