Nanocrystalline LaMnO3 preparation and kinetics of crystallization process

Precursor of nanocrystalline LaMnO₃ was synthesized by solid-state reaction at low heat using La(NO₃)₃·6H₂O, MnSO₄·H₂O, and Na₂CO₃·10H₂O as raw materials. XRD analysis showed that precursor was a mixture containing orthorhombic La₂(CO₃)₃·8H₂O and rhombohedral MnCO₃. When the precursor was calcined at 800 ^°C for 2 h, pure phase LaMnO₃ with rhombohedral structure was obtained. Magnetic characterization indicated that rhombohedral LaMnO₃ behaved weak magnetic properties. The thermal process of the precursor experienced four steps, which involved the dehydration of crystallization water at first, and then decomposition of manganese carbonate into MnO₂, and decomposition of La₂(CO₃)₃ and MnO₂ together into La₂O₂CO₃ and Mn₂O₃, and lastly reaction of monoclinic La₂O₂CO₃ with Mn₂O₃ and formation of rhombohedral LaMnO₃. Based on the Kissinger equation, the value of the activation energy associated with the formation of rhombohedral LaMnO₃ was determined to be 260 kJ mol^?1. The value of the Avrami exponent, n, was equal to 1.68, which suggested that crystallization process of LaMnO₃ was the random nucleation and growth of nuclei reaction.