Abstract

Urchin-Flower like Hierarchical LaNiO3 Spheres: Structural Characteristics and Photocatalytic Activity

Author(s): Song Weiming

Urchin-flowerlike hierarchical LaNiO3 spheres were synthesized by a modified coprecipitation method from vesicle solutions. The LaNiO3 spheres’ structure and catalytic activity were elaborately studied by varying the mole ratio of La and Ni. Both samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM and XPS, the results revealed a variety of urchin-flowerlike hierarchical LaNiO3 spheres with different La/Ni molar ratios (n(La): n (Ni)=1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1) were prepared by self-assembly method, and all the catalysts provided typical diffraction patterns for the LaNiO3 rhombohedral structure characteristics. Urchin-flowerlike hierarchical LaNiO3-3 spheres (~20 µm to 30 µm diameter) shows a typical urchin-flowerlike hierarchical sphere structure, which was composed of ~100-nm-thickultrathin sheets. The LaNiO3-3 has a better morphology, crystal configuration, photocatalytic activity (95.63%) for RB under ultraviolet light.