Monostrontium ruthenate (SrRuO₃) is an inorganic compound with a perovskite crystal structure, typical of many complex metal oxides with the formula ABO₃. It is one of two main strontium ruthenates, the other having the formula Sr2RuO4. It consists of strontium (Sr²⁺) and ruthenium (Ru⁴⁺) ions, where Ru⁴⁺ occupies octahedral sites coordinated by oxygen, and Sr²⁺ resides in distorted 12-coordinate sites.
SrRuO3 is a ferromagnetic. It is notable for its ferromagnetic properties, exhibiting strong coupling of charge, spin, and lattice degrees of freedom. It has a perovskite structure as do many complex metal oxides with the ABO3 formula. This material is metallic and conductive, making it valuable for applications like electrodes, interconnects, and transparent conductive coatings in thin-film deposition processes, including chemical and physical vapor deposition. The Ru4+ ions occupy the octahedral sites and the larger Sr2+ ions are distorted 12-coordinate.
SrRuO₃ also displays photostriction, where light absorption induces significant lattice strain (up to 1.12%), affecting its electrical resistance. This property suggests potential uses in optoelectronics, such as remote switches and microactuators. As a supercapacitor material, undoped SrRuO₃ achieves capacitances of ~10 F g⁻¹, with doping (e.g., Mn or La) increasing this to 20–30 F g⁻¹. Its stability and reactivity, particularly in oxygen evolution reactions, depend on surface orientation, with (001) being the most stable. SrRuO₃ is synthesized via methods like coprecipitation or pyrolysis, ensuring high purity for advanced applications.
Properties
- Chemical formula: O3RuSr
- Molar mass: 236.69 g·mol−1
- Appearance: black solid
Natural Occurrence
Monostrontium ruthenate is not typically found in nature as a distinct mineral. Ruthenium, a key component, is a rare transition metal usually found as a minor component in platinum group metal ores, such as those in the Ural Mountains, North and South America, Sudbury (Ontario, Canada), and pyroxenite deposits in South Africa.
Applications and Commercial Availability
SrRuO₃ is commercially available as sputtering targets and evaporation materials with high purity (up to 99.9%) for use in semiconductor, display, and optical applications. It is studied for its potential in next-generation optoelectronics, plasmonics, supercapacitors, and catalysis, with applications in fuel cells, solar cells, and microactuators.
