Porous LaFeO(3) perovskite catalysts synthesized by different methods and their high activities for CO oxidation

In this study, spherical α-Fe(2)O(3) prepared by the hydrothermal method was used as a template for the first time; LaFeO(3) perovskite catalysts were successfully synthesized by the molten salt method (M-LF-T), sol–gel method (S-LF-T), and co-precipitation method (C-LF-T), respectively. To determine the optimal synthesis method, X-ray diffraction patterns were obtained and showed that single phase LaFeO(3) with good crystallinity was prepared by the molten salt method after calcination at 600 °C for 4 h. SEM and TEM images showed that the M-LF-600 catalyst preserved the spherical structure of α-Fe(2)O(3) template. Compared with the catalysts synthesized by the sol–gel method and co-precipitation method, the M-LF-600 catalyst had the highest BET surface area of 16.73 m(2) g(−1). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis showed that the M-LF-600 catalyst had the highest surface Fe(3+)/Fe(2+) molar ratio and the best surface oxygen adsorption capacity. The CO oxidation of the LaFeO(3) catalyst demonstrated that the M-LF-600 catalyst had the best catalytic performance.