Remarkable enhancement of photocatalytic performance in LaCrO3 through a controlled chemical reduction process

A controlled chemical reduction process was performed on LaCrO3 assisted by CaH2 at a relatively low temperature (773 K), and the impact on the photocatalytic and magnetic properties is discussed. The reduction process leads to the formation of oxygen vacancies that enhance photocatalytic properties by acting as traps that retard the hole/electron recombination processes. In addition, the existence of oxygen defects induces some subtle structural modifications, resulting in Cr–O–Cr angle variation that influences the magnetic behavior of the material. Therefore, the use of a controlled chemical reduction process is an effective method for tunning the physical–chemical properties of transition-metal oxide-based materials, even in cases with high chemical stability.