Molten salt synthesis of LaCoO3 perovskite

LaCoO3 perovskite was successfully synthesized in molten NaCl–KCl eutectic mixture. Heating the La-nitrate, Co-nitrate and NaCl–KCl mixture to 800 °C yielded large (up to 5 microns) LaCoO3 cubic particles. Conversely, when La- and Co-nitrates were fed into the NaCl–KCl mixture, molten and stabilized at 800 °C, much smaller (sub-micron) particles were obtained. These results expound the mechanistic aspects of the perovskites formation in molten salts involving nucleation and crystal growth phenomena.