Calcination temperature effect on La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 nanoparticle using simple citrate pyrolysis process

A new simple route was used to synthesize nanosized crystalline La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 perovskite type complex oxide by simple citrate pyrolysis process using a metal salts, La, Ca, Mn as starting materials. To obtain the LCMO nanoparticles the precursor was carried out at various calcination temperatures viz. 500 degrees C, 600 degrees C, 700 degrees C, 800 degrees C for very short time only similar to 60 minutes. The synthesized LCMO nanoparticles were characterized by powder XRD, FTIR, TGA/DTA, SEM. The precursor could be completely decomposed into complex oxide at temperature below 500 degrees C according to the TGA/DTA results. XRD demonstrates that the decomposed species is composed of perovskite-type structure at calcination temperature of 600 degrees C for 60 minutes. The crystalline size that depends on the calcination temperature of the precursor is in the range of 11 - 22 nm as determined by Scherrer Formula. All the prepared samples have high purity perovskite structure which is orthorhombic. The chemical bonds were identified by the measurements of Infrared IR transmission spectra carried out with powder samples in which KBr was used as a carrier. The IR spectra revealed that stretching and bending modes influenced by calcination temperature. Morphology and grain size were studied through scanning electron microscopy.