LaCoO₃ Nanosystems by a Hybrid CVD/Sol–Gel Approach

LaCoO₃ nanosystems are receiving increasing attention for the development of innovative fuel cells and heterogeneous catalysts. In this report, we describe the synthesis of nanophasic LaCoO₃ thin films by a hybrid chemical vapor deposition (CVD)/sol–gel (SG) approach. The adopted strategy consists in the CVDof La-O-based systems on SG cobalt oxide xerogels CoO_x(OH)_y at temperatures as low as 200 °C and in the subsequent thermal treatment in air (400–800 °C, 2–8 h). In this context, particular attention is devoted to achieving an intimate La/Co intermixing already in the as-prepared systems, in order to favor reactions yielding a single La-Co-O phase with uniform composition. The obtained results point out to the formation of pure and structurally homogeneous LaCoO₃ nanosystems after annealing at 700 °C, 2 h, with a typical grain-like morphology. More severe thermal treatment resulted in the thermal decomposition of LaCoO₃ nanocrystallites.