Spherical SiO2 growth on LaFeO3 perovskite to create core–shell structures for Cd(II) adsorption on its surface

Abstract

In this study, LaFeO3 perovskite is synthesized by the flash method, and then a simple method is developed for growing SiO2 on its surface to construct a core/shell nanocomposite. The thickness of the SiO2 shell is controlled by varying the amount of tetra-ethyl orthosilicate (TEOS). Two LaFeO3@SiO2 samples with varying SiO2 thicknesses were synthesized. Herein, the lattice parameters, morphology, magnetic, and adsorption properties of the investigated core/shell nanocomposites are tuned by changing the content of SiO2. Results confirm that when the content of SiO2 increased, the prepared LaFeO3@SiO2 core/shell nanocomposite showed good adsorption performance, and the removal efficiency enhanced from 50 to 60% for LaFeO3 and LaFeO3@SiO2, respectively. It is thought that the enhancement of the adsorption performance is related to the high porosity and amorphous nature of SiO2.