Controlled synthesis of highly ordered LaFeO3 nanowires using a citrate-based sol–gel route

Highly ordered LaFeO3 nanowires of complex oxide were controlled synthesized with a porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template by a citrate-based sol–gel route. The results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that the LaFeO3 nanowires formed a uniform length and diameter, which were determined by the thickness and the pore diameter of the AAO template, respectively. The results of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the selected area electron diffraction (SAED) indicated that the LaFeO3 nanowires had a perovskite-type crystal structure. Furthermore, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) demonstrated that stoichiometric LaFeO3 was formed.