55 M in cations (Mn 7+, Mn 2+, Ca 2+, and La 3+) by keeping a molar ratio between KMnO 4 and MnCl 2·4H 2O according to the average valence of Mn ions in La 1−x Ca x MnO 3. The pH of the solution was adjusted to 13 by adding KOH. After ultrasonic stirring, the solution was transferred into a Teflon

autoclave and heated for 30 h at 230°C. Then, the reactor was cooled down to room temperature, and the obtained solid was washed with water and ethanol and dried at 230°C for 12 h. The powder was subjected to different MEK inhibitor temperatures, 650°C and 900°C for 12 h. The powder obtained after 900°C was pressed to form compact pellets (0.5-in. diameter) by using a pellet die at 490 MPa. Further, the pellet was sintered at 900°C for 24 h. Characterization The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis was carried on a Hitachi 4800S microscope (Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) at an acceleration voltage of 20 kV and at a working distance of 14 mm for gold-coated surfaces. The wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXRD) patterns were acquired on a Bruker AXS D5005 diffractometer (Bruker AXS GmbH, Karlsruhe, Germany). The samples were scanned at 4°/min using Cu K α radiation (λ=0.15418 nm) at a filament voltage of 40 kV and a current of 20 mA. The diffraction scans were collected within the 2θ= 20° to 80° range with a 2θ step of 0.01°. The electrical conductivity has

been determined by means of the van der Pauw method Stem Cells inhibitor [23, 24], where four contacts are used to eliminate the effect of the contact resistance. The electrical conductivity can be obtained from two four-point resistance measurements independently either on contact resistances or on the specific geometry of the contact arrangement. For the first resistance measurement, a current I AC is R788 mw driven from two contacts, named A and C, and the potential difference V BD between the other two contacts, B and D,

was measured, giving the first resistance R 1=V BD /I AC . The second resistance, R 2=V AB /I CD , is obtained by driving the current from C to D and measuring the voltage between A and B. The conductivity of the sample is obtained by solving the van der Pauw equation: (2) where d is the sample thickness. A Keithley 2400 current source (Keithley Instruments Inc., Cleveland, OH, USA) was used as driving source. The Seebeck coefficient has second been measured with a homemade apparatus. In order to control the temperature, we used a Lakeshore 340 temperature controller, and to record the potential data, a Keithley 2750 Multimeter/Switching System was used. The Seebeck coefficient can be determined as the ratio between the electrical potential, Δ V, and the temperature difference, Δ T, that is, (3) Results and discussion Scanning electron microscopy images show the evolution of the morphology as a function of temperature treatment (Figure 1A,B,C). The first temperature treatment was carried out at 230°C for 12 h (drying treatment); the resultant morphology after this treatment is shown in Figure 1C.