Title : Hydrothermal synthesis of aluminium- and zinc-doped LaFeO₃ perovskites for supercapacitor and photocatalytic applications
Abstract:
Perovskite-based functional nanomaterials have gained significant attention owing to their promising applications in sustainable energy storage and environmental remediation. In this study, aluminium (Al) and zinc (Zn) doped LaFeO₃ perovskites were successfully synthesized through a hydrothermal approach to evaluate their supercapacitive and photocatalytic performance. The hydrothermal synthesis route enabled improved crystallinity, controlled morphology, and enhanced surface characteristics of the prepared materials.Structural characterization confirmed the effective incorporation of Al and Zn ions into the LaFeO₃ crystal lattice without the formation of undesirable impurity phases. The doped perovskite samples exhibited enhanced surface area and improved electrochemical properties compared with pristine LaFeO₃. Electrochemical investigations demonstrated higher specific capacitance, enhanced cyclic stability, and superior charge transfer efficiency, which can be attributed to the synergistic effect of dual metal doping and increased active electrochemical sites.In addition, the synthesized materials displayed remarkable photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation for the degradation of organic pollutants. The improved photocatalytic efficiency was mainly associated with enhanced light absorption capability and reduced electron–hole recombination rates caused by Al and Zn incorporation into the perovskite framework. Among the prepared samples, the optimized doped composition exhibited the best multifunctional performance for both energy storage and photocatalytic applications.The obtained results indicate that hydrothermally synthesized Al- and Zn-doped LaFeO₃ perovskites are promising multifunctional materials for advanced supercapacitor systems and sustainable environmental purification technologies.
