It was demonstrated that various ferrite materials are very suitable for thermochemical water splitting. In this research, pure crystalline doped ferrites were obtained by means of added sucrose (25 wt%) to the mixture of metal acetates and /or metal citrates dissolved in de-ionized water. The mixture was heated in a microwave oven for 5 minutes which resulted in the formation of an amorphous product. DSC/TGA analysis revealed that the amorphous product crystallizes to form a stable structure at 400oC. The bulk sample of the amorphous product was heated in muffle furnace to 450 oC at a rate of 20oC/min in air to form a pure ferrite. Average crystallite sizes of the synthesized doped ferrites as calculated from the X-ray diffraction (XRD) peaks were in the range of 15-26 nm. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images of doped ferrites revealed that these nano-crystals were in the form of agglomerates. The BET specific surface areas of the synthesized ferrites were in the range of 43 to 70 m2/g depending on the type of doped metal. Details of the synthesis method and characterization of the synthesized complex oxides with different doped metals will be presented.
