Electrodeposition and structural characterization of MCrO3 (M = La, Pr, Nd, Gd, Dy and Y) perovskite oxide coatings on stainless steel substrates

Highlights: • Cost effective cathodic electrodeposition technique for the fabrication of perovskite chromite coatings. • TGA data was used to conduct a pilot study on La–Cr hydroxide precursor coatings. • Deposited coatings were very much adherent even after the heat treatment. • Morphology of the coatings vary with varying M in MCrO3 (M = La, Pr, Nd, Gd, Dy and Y). One of the significant challenges of the effective use of functional oxide materials in device applications is to obtain them in the form of thin films or thick coatings. In this work, we show cathodic electrodeposition technique as a cost effective method for fabrication of perovskite chromite coatings. Amorphous precursor hydroxide coatings of M (M = La, Pr, Nd, Gd, Dy, Y) and Cr were co-deposited on stainless steel electrode by cathodic electrodeposition from a nitrate bath. These precursor coatings were further heat treated to obtain MCrO₃ perovskite oxide coatings. Heat treatment of La–Cr hydroxide precursor coatings at 600 °C and 800 °C resulted in coatings of La₂CrO₆ and LaCrO₃ phases respectively. The other M−Cr hydroxides on heating at 800 °C for 2 h formed respective single phase MCrO₃ perovskite coatings. Interestingly, the SEM images of heat treated perovskite coatings show different morphologies with varying M in MCrO₃ (M = La, Pr, Nd, Gd, Dy and Y).