28th Congress of SCTM

SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION, AND ELECTROCATALYTIC PROPERTIES OF Pr1-xErxFeO3 (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, or 1)

Not scheduled

10m

Metropol Lake Resort

E-poster Physical, structural chemistry, spectroscopy and electrochemistry

Speaker

Sofija Popovska Blazhevska (Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, “Ss. Cyril and Methodius“ University in Skopje, N. Macedonia)

Description

Lanthanide-based perovskites have attracted considerable attention due to their structural versatility and tunable physical and chemical properties, making them promising materials for catalytic and electrochemical applications.1
In this work, the results of synthesis, characterization, and detailed electrochemical investigations of complex perovskites with the general formula Pr1xErxFeO3 (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, or 1) are presented. These compounds are synthesized using the sol-gel combustion method, employing citric acid as fuel and chelating agent, under controlled temperature and pH conditions. The obtained samples are identified and characterized using powder X-Ray diffraction, infrared, and Raman spectroscopy, while their electrochemical properties are investigated using cyclic staircase voltammetry in different electrolytes (phosphate buffer, KNO3, and KCl) on a glassy-carbon working electrode, modified with Nafion and corresponding perovskite.
The X-Ray diffraction patterns confirmed the formation of single-phase perovskites with high purity and crystallinity. The diffraction patterns exhibit the same sequence of diffraction maxima with slight shifts in their 2θ positions, indicating that the obtained compounds are isostructural. All of them are orthorhombic and crystallize within the space group Pnma.
The recorded IR and Raman spectra confirmed the partial substitution of praseodymium with erbium and the formation of PrO and ErO bonds in the substituted perovskites. The incorporation of the smaller Er3+ in the place of the larger Pr3+ leads to a decrease in the lattice parameters, causing a shift of the vibrational modes.
Electrochemical investigations showed that the synthesized perovskites are electrochemically stable and exhibit significant electrocatalytic activity toward the reduction of dissolved oxygen. Among the investigated materials, PrFeO3 displayed the highest catalytic activity. The results indicate that the electrocatalytic properties are strongly influenced by the composition of the material and the experimental conditions.

Keywords: complex perovskites, sol-gel combustion, X-ray powder diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry

References:
1. Chouhan М., et al.; Recent advances in rare-earth orthoferrites: Synthesis, dielectric-magnetic properties, and multifunctional applications, Ceram. Int. 2026, 52, 2485724877.