ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Effect of the preparation route on the structure and microstructure of LaCoO₃

Refka Andoulsi, Karima Horchani-Naifer, and Mokhtar Férid

Physical Chemistry Laboratory of Mineral Materials and their Applications, National Center of Research in Material Sciences, Technopole Borj Cedria, B.P. 73, 8027, Soliman, Tunisia

E-mail: andoulsi.refka@yahoo.fr

Abstract: Lanthanum cobaltite oxide, LaCoO₃, was prepared by the evaporation technique and the amorphous metal complex method. Powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and surface area measurements. The effect of the synthesis route on the phase purity, particle size, surface area, and morphology of the powders was studied. A single perovskite phase was synthesized at 700°C using the amorphous metal complex route. However, the evaporation technique required higher temperature for LaCoO₃ crystallization. Based on the characterization results, low temperature formation of LaCoO₃ was attributed to the homogeneity of the precursors. Such behavior also results in different microstructures. Powder synthesized by the amorphous metal complex method exhibited the highest surface area and the lowest particle size.

Keywords: perovskite – lanthanum cobaltite – chemical synthesis – characterization – microstructure

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.2478/s11696-013-0490-x

Chemical Papers 68 (5) 608–613 (2014)