Perovskite LaMnO3 hollow nanospheres: The synthesis and the application in catalytic wet air oxidation of phenol

Employing La(NO3)(3)center dot 6H(2)O and 50% Mn(NO3)(2) solutions as the La3+ source and Mn2+ source, hollow nanospheres of perovskite LaMnO3 were prepared via a one-pot urea-assisted solvothermal route followed by annealing. The La/Mn ratio, calcination temperature, crystalline phase, specific surface area and morphologies of the as-prepared material were respectively characterized by ICP-OES, TG-DTA, XRD, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, TEM, and SEM. As the precursors are solid nanospheres, the hollow interior structure of the LaMnO3 nanospheres is thought to be formed during the thermal decomposition process, in which a diameter contraction was also observed. Furthermore, the as-prepared LaMnO3 material was investigated by the catalytic wet air oxidation of phenol and exhibited good catalytic activity. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.