Collating the structural, vibrational, and photocatalysis properties of LaFeO3 rare-earth orthoferrite nanoparticles synthesized by the sol-gel method

To synthesize the rare earth orthoferrite LaFeO3\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$${LaFe}{O}_{3}$$\end{document} nanopowder, a perovskite, a sol-gel technique was employed. The resulting particles were characterized using SEM, XRD, and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. The perovskite structure of LaFeO3\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$${LaFe}{O}_{3}$$\end{document} (with La having an ionic radius of 1.36 & Aring;) exhibits internal deformation due to the large ionic radii of the elements occupying the A-site. This deformation affects several of its desirable properties. Notably, there is a reduction in lattice parameters and an increase in octahedral distortion. Deviations in the Raman modes can indicate spin-phonon coupling in LaFeO3\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$${LaFe}{O}_{3}$$\end{document} additionally, increased crystalline distortions can hinder the spin-lattice interactions, leading to adverse effects.The particles were found to be uniformly spherical, with an average size of 80 nm. The optical energy band gap of LaFeO3\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$${LaFe}{O}_{3}$$\end{document} at the nanoscale was measured to be 2.1 eV. This structure was further confirmed through optical absorbance and Raman spectroscopy measurements, aided by spin-phonon coupling. The optical characteristics exhibit intriguing variations that correlate with the expected photocatalytic activities. The photocatalytic activity of LaFeO3\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$${LaFe}{O}_{3}$$\end{document} nanoparticles was evaluated through the UV degradation of various organic dyes, including acid fuchsine (AF), methyl orange (MO), rhodamine B (RhB), and methylene blue (MB). Notably, the dyes underwent substantial photocatalytic degradation when exposed to visible light. A sol-gel gel technique was employed to generate perovskite-type LaFeO3\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$${LaFe}{O}_{3}$$\end{document} nanoparticles successfully.The structural identification confirmed with the help of structural refinement and Raman study successfully.The optical energy band gap of the material is 2.1 eV as established by UV-visible absorption spectrum measurements.The photocatalysis properties were carried out in the presence of various organic dyes such as MO, RhB, MB, and AF.