Co-Precipitation Synthesis And Characterization Of Strontium Lanthanum Vanadate Nanoparticles

Strontium lanthanum vanadate La1-xSrxVO3 (LSVO) is a promising anode material for electrochemical devices, especially for solid oxide fuel cells, thanks to its irregular electrical conductivity. However, the known synthesis methods are incapable of producing well-dispersed LSVO nanoparticles (NPs) with homogeneous size distribution, which partly impedes the applicability of the material. Thus, a new approach to synthesize LSVO NPs with such characteristics is of paramount importance. In the present work, we successfully prepare LSVO NPs with a high dispersion degree and homogeneous size distribution via a modified co-precipitation pathway, followed by hydrogen reduction at a temperature as low as 700 degrees C. The prepared LSVO NPs display uniform sizes in the range of 50 similar to 100 nm and do not contain any secondary phases, according to XRD analysis. The chemical mechanism of reactions that occur to form the LSVO is thoroughly highlighted. The work functions of NPs measured by the UPS analysis are in the 2.13 similar to 3.62 eV range, making the LSVO powders promising for use in thermionic devices. An explanation of the role of Sr substitution in work function values of LSVO is also proposed.