ironperovskite

Iron perovskite refers to a class of materials that adopt the perovskite crystal structure with iron occupying the B-site in the ABX3 formula. In oxide perovskites, A is a large cation such as a lanthanide or alkaline earth metal, B is iron, and X is oxygen. These materials are studied for their rich physical properties and their potential use in energy conversion, catalysis, and sensing. The properties of iron perovskites depend strongly on the iron oxidation state (for example Fe3+ and Fe4+), the presence of oxygen vacancies, and the size of the A-site cation, which together influence crystal symmetry, bond angles, and electronic structure.

Prominent oxide examples include LaFeO3, a canonical antiferromagnetic insulator; SrFeO3 and CaFeO3, which can exhibit higher conductivity and undergo valence changes with oxygen content. Mixed-valence iron perovskites can display phenomena such as metal–insulator transitions and tunable magnetic order. Synthesis methods range from solid-state reactions and sol-gel processes to thin-film deposition, with oxygen stoichiometry often controlled by annealing in different atmospheres to tailor properties.

Applications of iron perovskites span solid oxide fuel cell cathodes, catalytic materials for oxidation and combustion reactions, and electrochemical devices for oxygen reduction and evolution. Their relative chemical and thermal stability compared with some other perovskites makes them attractive for high-temperature environments, although achieving optimal electronic and ionic conductivity requires careful compositional tuning.

Ongoing research explores new iron-containing perovskite chemistries, dopants, and nanostructuring strategies to maximize magnetic, catalytic, and conductive performance for energy-related and environmental technologies.