Shape-controlled formation of ceria nanocrystals in a surfactant- And template-free process

Wei Wang, Baohua Gu, Mitchel J. Doktycz

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

Ceria (CeO2) nanoparticles are widely used for applications in catalysis, fuel cells, and microelectronics. An important factor that influences the catalytic performance of ceria is the shape of nanocrystals. Here we present a facile two-step procedure to synthesize ceria nanocrystals with controlled shapes in a surfactant- and template-free system. Cerium hydroxide precursor was first prepared via a chemical precipitation, and ceria was obtained by subsequent hydrothermal treatment. The as-synthesized nanocrystals were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Spherical and cubic nanoparticles with different sizes and two-dimensional nanorods/nanowires with different aspect ratios were obtained by manipulating the experimental conditions. Studies on the formation mechanism indicate that counter anions in solution played crucial roles in tuning the shape of the nanocrystals. The reaction time and temperature are also important factors influencing the structural evolution of the nanocrystals. The formation of ceria nanowires appears to result from the aggregation and orientation growth of smaller-size ceria nanocrystals. These nanocrystals exhibit strong UV absorption properties for catalytic applications, and the methodology is simple and inexpensive and has great potential for scale-up applications.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationAmerican Chemical Society - 238th National Meeting and Exposition, ACS 2009, Abstracts of Scientific Papers
StatePublished - 2009
Event238th National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society, ACS 2009 - Washington, DC, United States
Duration: Aug 16 2009Aug 20 2009

Publication series

NameACS National Meeting Book of Abstracts
ISSN (Print)0065-7727

Conference

Conference238th National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society, ACS 2009
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityWashington, DC
Period08/16/0908/20/09

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