Cerium effect on the phase structure, phase stability and redox properties of Ce-doped strontium ferrates

Nanostructured perovskite-type Sr_1−aCe_aFeO_3−x, (0?a<0.15) powders have been prepared by citrate-nitrate smoldering auto-combustion. Their phase structure and stability, surface and morphological properties, reduction behavior and interaction with oxygen have been investigated by X-ray Powder Diffraction combined with Rietveld Analysis, ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopies, N₂-adsorption method, Temperature Programmed Reduction and Oxidation experiments. Our results reveal that citrate-nitrate auto-combustion method is effective in obtaining single phase Sr_1−aCe_aFeO_3−x. The Sr_1−aCe_aFeO_3−x structure is cubic only for a?0.06, while for a<0.06 remains tetragonal. Moreover, for a?0.06 after semi-reductive treatment under inert gas, an expanded cubic phase is obtained instead of the brownmillerite-type structure, which is known to have ordered vacancies. Stabilization of octahedral Fe³⁺ by cerium doping appears to be the main factor in determining the structural properties of Sr_1−aCe_aFeO_3−x. The highest oxygen consumption for Ce-doped SrFeO₃ occurs for a=0.06. Preliminary impedance measurements show that Sr_0.94Ce_0.06FeO_3−x has the lowest area-specific resistance.