Synthesis of Perovskite Oxides Using the Sol Gel Method
Discipline: Chemical Sciences
Subcategory: analytical
Session: 1
Room: 1 - Hanover DE
Patricia Fontánez Carrión - University of Puerto Rico at Cayey
Co-Author(s): Brenda L. Vargas Pérez, University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras, PR; Lisandro Cunci, University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras, PR
Puerto Rico’s frequent power outages and reliance on imported fossil fuels requires the urgent development of renewable energy technologies to enhance energy security and reduce our environmental impact. Electrocatalytic materials, such as perovskite oxides, offer a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to traditional platinum group metals (PGMs) for catalyzing the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in green hydrogen production. While PGMs are scarce and expensive, perovskite oxides are abundant, lower cost, and can potentially lower the overpotential of the OER. When synthesized in nanoscale, their surface area and active site defects increase, enhancing their efficiency and OER activity. Perovskite oxides with the formula GdCoₓFe₁₋ₓO₃ were synthesized using the Sol-Gel method, with ethanol as a solvent and varying x values (0, 0.2, 0.5, 0.8, and 1.0). The synthesized materials were characterized by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) to identify their crystal structures and peak positions. Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) was employed to measure particle sizes and compare them with previously synthesized materials where water was the solvent. The objective was to achieve sustainable and enhanced nanoscale non-platinum group metal catalysts for OER and green hydrogen production.
XRD analysis identified characteristic peaks at 32.95° for GdFeO₃ (x= 0) and 33.94° for GdCoO₃ (x= 1.0), consistent with their expected crystal structures. DLS measurements revealed a significant decrease in particle size for the newly synthesized materials, achieving nanoscale dimensions compared to previous synthesized materials. The average particle size was reduced from micrometer scale in water-solvent synthesis to nanoscale in ethanol-solvent synthesis. The Sol-Gel synthesis method using ethanol successfully produced nanoscale perovskite oxides with desirable crystal structures. Future work will evaluate the electrochemical properties, OER activity using Linear Sweep Voltammetry (LSV), and stability with Chronoamperometry to ensure the material’s durability. Our findings highlight the potential of perovskite oxides in enhancing electrocatalysis research, contributing significantly to Puerto Rico’s energy resilience and sustainability.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): This study was supported, in part, by the NSF grant 2349168 awarded to Arthur D. Tinoco PhD, Director for the NSF REU PR-CLIMB Program, University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras, Puerto Rico.
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Lisandro Cunci, lisandro.cunci@upr.edu
Role: Synthesized single and double perovskite oxides using the Sol-Gel method, characterized their crystal structure using Powder X-ray Diffraction, and analyzed their particle size with Dynamic Light Scattering, reducing size from microscale to nanoscale in ethanol solvent synthesis. For electrochemical studies, I prepared catalyst inks, optimized their composition, conducted Linear Sweep Voltammetry to assess the oxygen evolution reaction activity, and performed data analysis using Origin software. Our best catalysts had lower overpotential than IrO, making it an alternative for expensive PGMs