Perovskite La1-xSrxFe1-yMnyO3 hollow nanospheres: Synthesis and application in catalytic hydrogen peroxide decomposition

Perovskite-type LaFeO3 and La1-xSrxFe1-yMnyO3 hollow nanospheres were prepared, for the first time, via a urea-assisted one-pot solvothermal method. The chemical compositions, crystalline phases, specific surface areas and morphologies of the materials as-prepared were characterized by ICP-OES, XRD, nitrogen adsorption and TEM, respectively. It was found that the presence of urea greatly decreased the nucleation temperature which led to the smaller particle sizes of products. As a potential application, the materials as-prepared exhibited superior activity and good stability in the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. The excellent activity of La1-xSrxFe1-yMnyO3 hollow nanospheres can be rationalized by their high specific surface areas and hollow nanoparticle morphology. The high stability of these materials can be attributed to their perovskite-type crystal structures. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.