Recent advances in sol–gel synthesis of oxide perovskites for energy and functional applications: a mini review

Oxide perovskites have attracted considerable attention due to their remarkable structural flexibility and tunable functional properties, making them highly relevant for applications in energy conversion, storage, and sensing technologies. Among the various synthesis routes, the sol–gel method stands out as a low-cost, scalable, and chemically versatile approach for fabricating high-purity, homogeneously mixed perovskite materials with controlled morphology and stoichiometry. This mini-review presents recent advances in the sol–gel synthesis of oxide perovskites, emphasizing how processing parameters such as precursor chemistry, solvent systems, chelating agents, and thermal treatments influence the final structure and functionality of the materials. Focus is placed on the application of sol–gel-derived oxide perovskites in fuel cells, photocatalysis, and other energy-related systems. In addition, recent progress in nanoscale characterization techniques, such as lithium mapping and high-resolution Raman spectroscopy is discussed, highlighting their role in revealing structure–property relationships in nanostructured perovskites. Challenges such as phase stability, scalability, and reproducibility are addressed, along with prospects for future research in tailoring sol–gel chemistry and advanced analysis methods for next-generation functional devices.

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