Structural characterization of La_1-xBa_xMnO₃manganite nanoparticles

La0.8Ba0.2MnO3 (LBMO) perovskite nanoparticles were prepared by a solid-state reaction technique with elaborating each of the parental compounds of LaMnO3 (LMO) and BaMnO3 (BMO); both of the latter compounds had been previously synthesized by the sol-gel method. Single-phase compound formation of the parental compounds was confirmed by initial X-ray structural analysis and LaMnO3 and BaMnO3 crystallized in the rhombohedral and hexagonal systems with R-3c and P63/mmc space groups, respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD) disclose that another phase of LBMO had been identified, suggesting that La0.8Ba0.2MnO3 was not fully formed. Field emission scanning electron microscopy with electron disperse X-ray spectroscopy (FESEM-EDXS) display that LBMO has low homogeneity compared to that of its parental compounds. From the morphology, the average crystallite size of the LBMO sample is significantly larger than that of the LMO compound. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR) suggested the occurrence of Mn-O bonds, denoting that despite the inhomogeneity, LBMO was able to form by incorporating LMO and BMO compounds. The obtained results indicate that sol-gel based synthesis is likely to have higher success rate in producing homogenous compounds in comparison with solid state reaction method. This preliminary study shows that LBMO fabricated from single phase LMO and BMO compounds may have created a multiphase LBMO compound. The combination of sol-gel and solid-state reaction methods provided a different kind of approach into properties of rare earth perovskite manganites.