Facile Synthesis of Lanthanum Strontium Cobalt Ferrite (LSCF) Nanopowders Employing an Ion-Exchange Promoted Sol-Gel Process

The perovskite nanopowders of lanthanum strontium cobalt ferrite (LSCF) have been synthesized using the alginate mediated ion-exchange process. This perovskite-based material is a promising cathode for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs) due to its high electrical conductivity, low polarizability, high catalytic activity for oxygen reduction, enhanced chemical stability at an elevated temperature in high oxygen potential environment and high compatibility with the ceria based solid electrolytes. Phase pure LSCF 6428, LSCF 6455, and LSCF 6482 corresponding to La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ, La0.6Sr0.4Co0.5Fe0.5O3-δ, and La0.6Sr0.4Co0.8Fe0.2O3-δ, respectively were successfully synthesized. The simultaneous thermal analysis (DSC-TGA) and XRD were used to determine the optimum calcination temperature for the dried ion-exchanged beads. Single phase nanopowders of LSCF (6428, 6455, and 6482) have been successfully prepared at a calcination temperature of 700 °C. The TGA analysis showed that every ton of LSCF-ALG dried beads can potentially yield 360 kg of LSCF nanopowders suggesting a potential for scaling-up of the process of manufacturing nanopowders of LSCF.