Direct preparation of La2Zr2O7 microspheres by cathode plasma electrolysis

La2Zr2O7 microspheres were directly prepared by cathode plasma electrolysis (CPE) in the electrolyte of Zr(NO3)4·5H2O and La(NO3)3·6H2O. Compared with high temperature sintering methods, the energy of plasma was completely used by CPE and made it possible to prepare the microspheres without calcining. The diameters of microspheres were mostly in the range of 0.5-5μm and the microspheres consisted of fluorite and pyrochlore structures of La2Zr2O7. Moreover, the microspheres possessed potential photocatalytic activity and fluorescence property, owing to the high crystallinity and large surface area of the microspheres.