Synthesis and characterization of La0.7Sr0.3Fe0.7Co0.3O3±δ by Sonochemistry

Among different possible energy sources, in the search for fossil fuel substitutes, hydrogen and fuel cells are presented as one of the most promising alternatives, with great potential, in the development of devices for the generation of clean electrical energy. Recently, lanthanum based compounds have been studied due to their interesting transport properties, which led these products to be applied as possible cathode materials in a solid oxide fuel cell. In this work, a lanthanum based material with a perovskite structure, La0.7Sr0.3Fe0.7Co0.3O3±δ (LSFC), was synthesized, from nitrates, by sonochemistry. This product was structurally characterized by powder X-ray diffraction and morphological studies were obtained by scanning electron microscopy. Results showed a nanostructured material with a crystal size in de order of 14 nm and a cubic perovskite structure with cell parameters of a = 3.8927 Å. Morphological characterization indicated a porous material formed by grains of homogeneous size, pores had an average length of 17 nm and area of 36 nm2, showing a channel shape distribution.