Crystal structure refinement of Co-doped lanthanum chromites

Abstract

Results of crystal structure refinements and phase quantification for samples of Co-doped lanthanum chromites with nominal composition LaCr1−xCoxO3, for x=0.00, 0.10, 0.20, and 0.30, prepared by combustion synthesis are presented. The resulting powders were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The XRD patterns were obtained with Cu Kα radiation for non-doped lanthanum chromite sample and additionally with Cr Kα radiation for Co-doped lanthanum chromites samples, in order to enhance the signal from scattering. Rietveld analysis of XRD data showed that the studied samples presented the lanthanum chromite with an orthorhombic structure (Pnma), except for the composition with x=0.30, in which the space group was found to be R3c.