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Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are efficient energy conversion devices that transform chemical energy into electrical energy with minimal pollutant emissions. In this study, a simple and cost-effective modified sol-gel method was employed to synthesize La₁₋ₓCaₓFeO₃ (LCF) oxide as a cathode material for SOFCs with significantly reduced energy consumption, fewer processing steps, and shorter synthesis time. The research focuses on the influence of key synthesis parameters—including calcination time, temperature, and chemical additives—on the properties of the resulting LCF material. Characterization techniques such as differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetric analysis (DTA-TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were utilized to assess the structural, microstructural, and chemical properties, as well as the success of LCF synthesis. The results indicate that calcination at 1200 °C for 1 hour in the presence of both citric acid (CA) and ethylene glycol (EG) as chemical additives yields optimal features, including desirable phase purity, porosity, and particle size for SOFC performance. Furthermore, the effect of calcination temperature, ranging from 700 °C to 1200 °C, was systematically investigated. The findings demonstrate that increasing the temperature to 1200 °C leads to the formation of a porous single-phase structure with favorable particle size distribution. Additionally, while longer calcination durations generally enhance crystallinity, the sample calcined at 1000 °C for 1 hour exhibited superior properties compared to the sample treated for 3 hours, likely due to over-calcination and excessive grain growth.

Keywords: Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), perovskite cathode, La₁₋ₓCaₓFeO₃ (LCF), sol-gel synthesis, synthesis parameters

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