synthesis, characterization and catalytic-photocatalytic activity of nanosized perovskite-type lanthanum cobaltite

Nanoparticle lanthanum cobaltite prepared by citrate method was characterized using x-ray diffraction measurement, scanning electron microscopy, fourier transform infrared, photoluminescence and uv-vis spectroscopy. xrd analysis showed that the nano-perovskite derived after calcination at 700 ºc with rhombohedral structure. the particle size of nano-perovskite was found to be ~30 nm. the activity of lanthanum cobaltite was evaluated by decomposition of solution of rhodamine b (rhb) as a model pollutant both in the absence and in the presence of visible light irradiation. results show that the rhb decomposes to 90% in 150 min under dark and light conditions over lanthanum cobaltite catalyst. however, the present catalytic decomposition does not require light and additional reagents or external energy input, which hence provides a potentially low-cost alternative for the remediation of dye effluents. generally, lanthanum cobaltite exhibited a high catalytic ability because of high surface area and small particle size, which are favorable for development of active sites. the prepared catalyst was stable and reusable in 3 cycles.