Nanosized CeO2–SiO2, CeO2–TiO2, and CeO2–ZrO2 Mixed Oxides: Influence of Supporting Oxide on Thermal Stability and Oxygen Storage Properties of Ceria

The influence of SiO₂, TiO₂, and ZrO₂ on the structural and redox properties of CeO₂ were systematically investigated by various techniques namely, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy (RS), UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HREM), BET surface area, and thermogravimetry methods. The effect of supporting oxides on the crystal modification of ceria was also mainly focused. The investigated oxides were obtained by soft chemical routes with ultrahigh dilute solutions and were subjected to thermal treatments from 773 to 1073 K. The XRD results suggest that the CeO₂–SiO₂ sample primarily consists of nanocrystalline CeO₂ on the amorphous SiO₂ surface. Both crystalline CeO₂ and TiO₂-anatase phases were noted in the case of CeO₂–TiO₂ sample. Formation of cubic Ce_0.75Zr_0.25O₂ and Ce_0.6Zr_0.4O₂ (at 1073 K) were observed in the case of CeO₂–ZrO₂ sample. The cell ‘a’ parameter estimations revealed an expansion of the ceria lattice in the case of CeO₂–TiO₂, while a contraction is noted in the case of CeO₂–ZrO₂. The DRS studies suggest that the supporting oxides significantly influence the band gap energy of CeO₂. Raman measurements disclose the presence of oxygen vacancies, lattice defects, and displacement of oxide ions from their normal lattice positions in the case of CeO₂–TiO₂ and CeO₂–ZrO₂ samples. The XPS studies revealed the presence of silica, titania, and zirconia in their highest oxidation states, Si(IV), Ti(IV), and Zr(IV) at the surface of the materials. Cerium is present in both Ce⁴⁺ and Ce³⁺ oxidation states. The HREM results reveal well-dispersed CeO₂ nanocrystals over the amorphous SiO₂ matrix in the case of CeO₂–SiO₂, isolated CeO₂ and TiO₂ (A) nanocrystals and some overlapping regions in the case of CeO₂–TiO₂, and nanosized CeO₂ and Ce–Zr oxides in the case of CeO₂–ZrO₂ sample. The exact structural features of these crystals as determined by digital diffraction analysis of HREM experimental images reveal that the CeO₂ is mainly in cubic fluorite geometry. The oxygen storage capacity (OSC) as determined by thermogravimetry reveals that the OSC of mixed oxides is more than that of pure CeO₂ and the CeO₂–ZrO₂ exhibits highest OSC.     

Supported CuO/Ce1−x Zr x O2 catalysts for the preferential oxidation of CO in H2-rich gases

The catalytic properties of CuO supported on ceria or ceria-zirconia mixed oxides have been investigated in the preferential oxidation of CO in H₂-rich gases. CuO/CeO₂ shows very high activity towards the oxidation of CO with a light-off temperature of about 70°C. This catalyst is very selective for the oxidation of CO rather than of H₂ in the low temperature region (70–120°C), while at higher temperatures, the oxidation of hydrogen begins, causing of a maximum of CO conversion to arise with increasing temperature. Published in Russian in Kinetika i Kataliz, 2006, Vol. 47, No. 5, pp. 779–787. This article was submitted by the authors in English.     

高热稳定性的铈铝复合氧化物用于柴油机尾气中碳烟的消除

采用柠檬酸络合燃烧法制备了一系列铝铈复合氧化物(铝掺杂的氧化铈),并通过程序升温氧化反应在紧密接触的模式下研究了其催化氧化碳烟的活性.结果表明,氧化铝和氧化铈之间存在强烈的相互作用,部分铝可以进入氧化铈晶格形成铝铈固溶体,大部分铝以γ-Αl2O3形式存在.与纯氧化铈相比,铝铈复合氧化物具有较好的催化燃烧活性,这是由于γ-Αl2O3能作为"扩散阻碍"阻止氧化铈粒子之间的接触而增强其热稳定.晶格氧的活动性决定了铝铈复合氧化物的催化活性,当铝与铈的摩尔比为1:30时,复合氧化物的催化活性最高.     

Synthesis of CeO<Subscript>2</Subscript> or α–Mn<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> nanoparticles via sol–gel process and their optical properties

Nanocrystalline cubic fluorite/bixbyite CeO₂ or α–Mn₂O₃ has been successfully synthesized by using methanol as a solvent via sol–gel method calcined at 400 °C. The obtained products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV–vis absorption and Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. TEM reveals that the as-synthesized ultra-fine samples consist of elliptical/spherical and sheet-like morphology of crystalline particles of 8/30 nm, which are weakly aggregated. Optical absorbance spectra reveal that the absorption of ceria in the UV region originates from the charge- transfer transition between the O²⁻ (2p) and Ce⁴⁺ (4f) orbit in CeO₂. However, α–Mn₂O₃ nanostructures with nearly pure band gap emission should be of importance for their applications as UV emitters.     

Ceria–Zirconia Particles Wrapped in a 2D Carbon Envelope: Improved Low‐Temperature Oxygen Transfer and Oxidation Activity

Engineering the interface between different components of heterogeneous catalysts at nanometer level can radically alter their performances. This is particularly true for ceria‐based catalysts where the interactions are critical for obtaining materials with enhanced properties. Here we show that mechanical contact achieved by high‐energy milling of CeO₂–ZrO₂ powders and carbon soot results in the formation of a core of oxide particles wrapped in a thin carbon envelope. This 2D nanoscale carbon arrangement greatly increases the number and quality of contact points between the oxide and carbon. Consequently, the temperatures of activation and transfer of the oxygen in ceria are shifted to exceptionally low temperatures and the soot combustion rate is boosted. The study confirms the importance of the redox behavior of ceria‐zirconia particles in the mechanism of soot oxidation and shows that the organization of contact points at the nanoscale can significantly modify the reactivity resulting in unexpected properties and functionalities.     

Synthesis of ceria–zirconia mixed oxide from cerium and zirconium glycolates via sol–gel process and its reduction property

Ceria–zirconia mixed oxide was successfully synthesized via the sol–gel process at ambient temperature, followed by calcination at 500, 700 and 900 °C. The synthesis parameters, such as alkoxide concentration, aging time and heating temperature, were studied to obtain the most uniform and remarkably high‐surface‐area cubic‐phase mixed oxides. The thermal stability of both oxides was enhanced by mutual substitution. Surface areas of the Ce_xZr_1?xO₂ powders were improved by increasing ceria content, and their thermal stability was increased by the incorporation of ZrO₂. The most stable cubic‐phase solid solutions were obtained in the Ce range above 50 mol%. The highest surface area was obtained from the mixed catalyst containing a ceria content of 90 mol% (200 m²/g). Temperature programmed reduction results show that increasing the amount of Zr in the mixed oxides results in a decrease in the reduction temperature, and that the splitting of the support reduction process into two peaks depends on CeO₂ content. The CO oxidation activity of samples was found to be related to its composition. The activity of catalysts for this reaction decreased with a decrease in Zr amount in cubic phase catalysts. Ce₆Zr₄O₂ exhibited the highest activity for CO oxidation. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ambient temperature sol–gel synthesis of CeO2–SiO2 and TiO2–CeO2–SiO2 films with high efficiency of UV absorption and without destructive oxidation on heat sensitive organic substrate

Highly efficient UV absorption films of CeO₂–SiO₂ and TiO₂–CeO₂–SiO₂ were synthesized through an epoxide assisted sol–gel strategy. As proven by their UV–vis transmittance spectra, the obtained films show very strong absorption in the UV region, at the same time, keeping the high transparency in the visible range. Due to the unique chemistry of this route and the delicate selection of Ce precursor salts, the ceria in the film can be crystallized at ambient temperature, resulting in the effective UV absorption and oxidation minimization of the films. These advantages guarantee their application in the protection of heat-sensitive organic materials.     

Structure and surface properties of ZrO<Subscript>2</Subscript>, CeO<Subscript>2</Subscript>, and Zr<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>Ce<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> prepared by a microemulsion method according to X-ray diffraction,TPR, and EPR data

It was established by X-ray diffraction, TPR, and EPR that microemulsion (m.e.) synthesis yields the binary oxides ZrO₂(m.e.) and CeO₂(m.e.) and the mixed oxide Zr_0.5Ce_0.5O₂(m.e.) in the form of a tetragonal, cubic, and pseudocubic phase, respectively, having crystallite sizes of 5–6 nm. The bond energy of surface oxygen in the (m.e.) samples is lower than in their analogues prepared by pyrolysis. Hydrogen oxidation on the oxides under study occurs at higher temperatures than CO oxidation. ZrO₂(m.e.) and CeO₂(m.e.) are active in O₂⁻ formation during NO + O₂ adsorption, while CeO₂ is active during CO + O₂ adsorption, too. However, its amount here is one-half to one-third its amount in the pyrolysis-prepared samples, signifying a reduced number of active sites, which are Zr⁴⁺ and Ce⁴⁺ coordinatively unsaturated cations and Me⁴⁺-O²⁻ pairs. O₂⁻ radical anions are stabilized in the coordination sphere of Zr⁴⁺ coordinatively unsaturated cations via ionic bonding, and in the sphere of Ce⁴⁺ cations, via covalent bonding. Ionic bonds are stronger than ionic-covalent bonds and do not depend on the ZrO₂ phase composition. Zr_0.5Ce_0.5O₂ is inactive in these reactions because of the strong interaction of Zr and Ce cations. It is suggested that Ce^{(4 + β)+} coordinatively unsaturated cations exist on its surface, and their acid strength is lower than that of Zr⁴⁺ and Ce⁴⁺ cations in ZrO₂ and CeO₂, according to the order ZrO₂ > CeO₂ ≥ Zr_0.5Ce_0.5O₂. Neither TPR nor adsorption of probe molecules revealed Zr cations on the surface of the mixed oxide.     

Structural and catalytic properties of lanthanide (La, Eu, Gd) doped ceria

Ce_0.9M_0.1O_2−δ mixed oxides (M=La, Eu and Gd) were synthesized by coprecipitation. Independent of the dopant cation, the obtained solids maintain the F-type crystalline structure, characteristic of CeO₂ (fluorite structure) without phase segregation. The ceria lattice expands depending on the ionic radii of the dopant cation, as indicated by X-ray diffraction studies. This effect also agrees with the observed shift of the F_2g Raman vibrational mode. The presence of the dopant cations in the ceria lattice increases the concentration of structural oxygen vacancies and the reducibility of the redox pair Ce⁴⁺/Ce³⁺. All synthesized materials show higher catalytic activity for the CO oxidation reaction than that of bare CeO₂, being Eu-doped solid the one with the best catalytic performances despite of its lower surface area.     

Effects of Fe-doping of ceria-based materials on their microstructural and dynamic oxygen storage and release properties

The structural/textual characteristics and dynamic oxygen storage capacity (DOSC) of Fe_0.1Ce_0.9O_x and Fe_0.1Ce_0.6Zr_0.3O_x samples prepared by sol–gel method are investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Raman, Hydrogen temperature-programmed reduction (H₂-TPR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and mass spectrometry with CO/O₂ transient pulses. The dynamic oxygen storage capacity and rate are largely promoted by Fe doping, and their thermal stability is enhanced by Fe and Zr co-doping. The DOSC (at 673 K) are ordered as: Fresh: Fe_0.1Ce_0.6Zr_0.3O_x (566.6 μmol/g) > Fe_0.1Ce_0.9O_x (551.8 μmol/g) > Ce_0.67Zr_0.33O₂ (287.5 μmol/g) > CeO₂ (140.3 μmol/g); Annealed_1,173K: Fe_0.1Ce_0.6Zr_0.3O_x (101.6 μmol/g) > Ce_0.67Zr_0.33O₂ (45.3 μmol/g) > Fe_0.1Ce_0.9O_x (44.9 μmol/g) > CeO₂ (43.3 μmol/g). The H₂-TPR results showed that Fe-incorporation improve the total oxygen storage capacity (TOSC) of mixed oxide and low temperature activity. The TOSC are ordered as: Fe_0.1Ce_0.9O_x (1.53 mmol/g) > Fe_0.1Ce_0.6Zr_0.3O_x (1.42 mmol/g) > Ce_0.67Zr_0.33O₂ (1.16 mmol/g) > CeO₂ (0.88 mmol/g). XRD and Raman results indicate that Fe_0.1Ce_0.9O_x and Fe_0.1Ce_0.6Zr_0.3O_x are characterized with the fluorite-type cubic structure similar to CeO₂. TPR and XPS analyses reveal that the introduction of Fe into ceria and ceria-zirconia mixed oxides strongly modified the structural and textural properties, which influenced the kinetics of bulk oxygen diffusion.     

Studies of Zirconia-Doped Ceria Nanomaterials for CO and C3H8 Oxidation

Results of structural refinements and catalytic evaluation of a series of palladium supported ceria-zirconia synthesized through a surfactant-assisted technique were reported. It was found that zirconium addition to ceria leads to a crystalline structure distortion and inhibits the crystal growth at high temperature. Rietveld refinements confirm that all the ceria-zirconia samples have nanocrystals with cationic defects in their structures. The Pd-supported catalysts were very active for both CO and propane complete oxidation. The best catalyst 3wt%Pd/Ce_0.8Zr_0.2O₂ has a light-off temperature (T ₅₀) as low as 120°C for CO oxidation and 180°C for C₃H₈ combustion.     

Study of the temperature-programmed oxidative degradation of hydrocarbons over Ce-based catalysts by evolved gas analysis

The catalytic behaviour of ceria, zirconia and ceria–zirconia mixed oxides in the temperature-programmed degradation of toluene and n-hexane was analysed by means of evolved gas analysis (mass spectrometry). Pure cerium oxide resulted the most active catalyst in the oxidation of both compounds. This fact revealed the crucial role of the surface oxygen species in the decomposition of this type of hydrocarbons. The low affinity of CeO₂ for H₂O and CO₂, the major oxidation products, may be also responsible for the observed highly active catalytic behaviour.     

Preparation and characterization of CeO<Subscript>2</Subscript>–Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> aerogels supported ruthenium for catalytic wet air oxidation of p-hydroxybenzoic acid

Catalytic wet air oxidation of an aqueous solution of p-hydroxybenzoic acid was conducted over ruthenium catalysts (1 wt%) supported on CeO₂–Al₂O₃ aerogels mixed oxides at 140 °C and 50 bars of air. We study the effect of the amount of CeO₂ in the catalyst. We found that the optimal cerium content in the Al₂O₃ support was 20 wt%. The activity of the Ru/Al₂O₃ and Ru/CeO₂ was also tested for comparison. It was found that the addition of CeO₂ on the alumina support improves the activity of Ru catalysts. The activity of the samples decreases in the following order: Ru/Ce–Al (20) > Ru/Ce–Al (10) > Ru/Ce–Al (5) ≈ Ru/Al₂O₃ > Ru/CeO₂. Samples characterization was performed by means of N₂ adsorption–desorption, XRD, UV–Vis, TPR, SEM and TEM.     

Effect of pretreatment conditions on the catalytic activity of coprecipitated Ce<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>Zr<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> catalyst in soot oxidation

The temperature of soot oxidation and efficiency of Ce_0.5Zr_0.5O₂ catalyst depends on its morphology, which determines the area of intergranular contact between the solid substrate and the catalyst. The temperature-programmed reduction in hydrogen to 1000°C and oxidation at 500°C (redox cycles) cause the mobility of oxygen in oxide to be enhanced and decrease the temperature of soot combustion. Oxidation of soot in the air flow on the Ce_0.5Zr_0.5O₂ catalyst result in its activation. Reuse of the catalyst decreases the temperature of soot oxidation.     

Caracterisation De Catalyseurs ZrxCe1–xO2 et Etude De Leur Reactivite Dans L'Oxydation Des Suies Par ATD/ATG

Thermal analysis has been used to investigate the crystallization of Zr_xCe_1-xO₂ mixed oxides, prepared by co-precipitation of corresponding hydroxides. For x≤0.5, small crystals of CeO₂, were formed at low temperatures (373 K). For x>0.5an exothermic peak at 420°C (693 K) was observed after calcination under a flow of air ofhydroxide samples. This peak was associated with the formation of a Zr_xCe_1-xO₂ solid solution (XRD) in a tetragonal phase (Raman). The solids calcined at 700°C (973 K) present a reactivity towards the carbon black oxidation. The thermal analysis coupled with a gas chromatograph (GC) were used to follow this reactivity. Simultaneous study of the activity (thermal analysis) and the selectivity (GC) in CO or CO₂ of the different catalysts revealed an important parameter: acatalyst-soot particle contact. We also obtained a more precise comparison of Zr_xCe_1-xO₂ oxides in the catalytic soot combustion. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

New synthesis of pure CexZr1?xO2 mixed oxides (0?≤?x?≤?1) by an epoxide sol–gel method

Pure ceria-zirconia mixed oxides Ce _x Zr_1−x O₂ with high specific surface area were synthesized with a new epoxyde driven sol–gel route and characterized by thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction studies and transmission electron microscopy. This sol–gel method is cheap and uses only a few steps. The Ce _x Zr_1−x O₂ mixed oxides were obtained in the range of 0 ≤ x ≤ 1 (except for x = 0.8) and crystallised at 350 °C after decomposition of the gels. This temperature is very low in comparison with the other methods. The studies of the influence of different synthesis parameters (concentration of the sol and decomposition temperature) allowed us to determine the conditions to obtain the best homogeneity in the gel to avoid the formation of a mixture of phases instead of mixed oxides. This approach leads to the synthesis of oxide with specific surface area above 100 m² g⁻¹. The elaboration of an ambigel could increase this value up to 195 m² g⁻¹ for x = 0.5. This sol–gel synthesis offers new perspectives for these oxides in several applications. Generally, these oxides are difficult to obtain pure in large range of composition at low-temperature and with high specific surface area by other methods.     

Effect of the nanoparticle size of supported copper-containing catalysts on their activity in the selective oxidation of CO in an excess of H<Subscript>2</Subscript>

The catalytic properties of systems prepared by the supporting of CuO onto CeO₂, ZrO₂, and Zr_0.5Ce_0.5O₂ with particle sizes of 15–25 nm (nitrate pyrolysis (p)) and 5–6 nm (microemulsion method (me)) in the reaction of CO oxidation in an excess of H₂ were studied. In the latter case, the supports had an almost homogeneous surface and a small number of defects. The catalytic activity of (me) and (p) supports was low and almost the same, whereas the catalytic activity of CuO/(CeO₂, ZrO₂, and Zr_0.5Ce_0.5O₂)(me) samples was lower than that of CuO/(CeO₂ and ZrO₂)(p). The maximum CO conversion (∼100% at 125°C) was observed on 5% CuO/CeO₂ (p). The CO and CO₂ adsorption species on (p) and (me) catalysts were studied by TPD. Differences in the compositions of copper-containing centers on the surfaces of (p) and (me) systems were found using TPR. The nature of the active centers of CO oxidation and the effect of support crystallite size on the catalytic activity were considered.     

Syngas production from methane over CeO2-Fe2O3 mixed oxides using a chemical-looping method

A series of mixed oxides Ce_{1 ? x} Fe _x O₂ was prepared by a hydrothermal method. XRD and Raman spectra were measured to study the structure of the prepared materials. The temperature-programmed reduction was undertaken to estimate reducibility of the oxides. Syngas generation from methane using these materials as oxygen carriers/catalysts via a chemical-looping procedure was investigated in detail. This procedure includes catalytic oxidation and decomposition of methane to produce H₂-rich gas at the first step followed by the production of the CO-rich gas by oxidizing the carbon deposited on deactivated catalysts. The results showed that all iron ions were incorporated into the ceria lattice with the formation of oxygen vacancies in the Ce_0.9Fe_0.1O₂ sample, while isolated Fe₂O₃ particles were distributed on the surface of the Ce_0.8Fe_0.2O₂ sample. TPR measurements and the analysis of the two-step chemical-looping reactions indicated a strong interaction between the Ce and Fe species which accounts for an increased activity of the mixed oxides in the syngas generation compared to that of individual oxides. Among the several samples, the Ce_0.8Fe_0.2O₂ catalyst showed the highest activity for methane partial oxidation due to the synergetic effects caused by the interaction of surface iron entities and Ce-Fe solid solution. In addition, selective oxidation of carbon by oxygen to CO can also be found over this material since gaseous products are formed at the carbon oxidation step with the selectivity to CO reaching 91.2%. Evidence is presented that syngas can be feasibly produced from methane with high selectivity via the chemical-looping procedure over the CeO₂-Fe₂O₃ mixed oxides.     

Highly Dispersed Ce x Zr1−x O2 Nano-Oxides Over Alumina, Silica and Titania Supports for Catalytic Applications

We have been exploring the utilization of supported ceria and ceria–zirconia nano-oxides for different catalytic applications. In this comprehensive investigation, a series of Ce _x Zr_1−x O₂/Al₂O₃, Ce _x Zr_1−x O₂/SiO₂ and Ce _x Zr_1−x O₂/TiO₂ composite oxide catalysts were synthesized and subjected to thermal treatments from 773 to 1073 K to examine the influence of support on thermal stability, textural properties and catalytic activity of the ceria–zirconia solid solutions. The physicochemical characterization studies were performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy (RS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HREM), thermogravimetry and BET surface area methods. To evaluate the catalytic properties, oxygen storage/release capacity (OSC) and CO oxidation activity measurements were carried out. The XRD analyses revealed the formation of Ce_0.75Zr_0.25O₂, Ce_0.6Zr_0.4O₂, Ce_0.16Zr_0.84O₂ and Ce_0.5Zr_0.5O₂ phases depending on the nature of support and calcination temperature employed. Raman spectroscopy measurements in corroboration with XRD results suggested enrichment of zirconium in the Ce _x Zr_1−x O₂ solid solutions with increasing calcination temperature thereby resulting in the formation of oxygen vacancies, lattice defects and oxygen ion displacement from the ideal cubic lattice positions. The HREM results indicated a well-dispersed cubic Ce _x Zr_1−x O₂ phase of the size around 5 nm over all supports at 773 K and there was no appreciable increase in the size after treatment at 1073 K. The XPS studies revealed the presence of cerium in both Ce⁴⁺ and Ce³⁺ oxidation states in different proportions depending on the nature of support and the treatment temperature applied. All characterization techniques indicated absence of pure ZrO₂ and crystalline inactive phases between Ce–Al, Ce–Si and Ce–Ti oxides. Among the three supports employed, silica was found to stabilize more effectively the nanosized Ce _x Zr_1−x O₂ oxides by retarding the sintering phenomenon during high temperature treatments, followed by alumina and titania. Interestingly, the alumina supported samples exhibited highest OSC and CO oxidation activity followed by titania and silica. Details of these findings are consolidated in this review.     

硫中毒对Co3O4/CeO2复合氧化物上炭黑催化燃烧的影响

采用共沉淀法制备了CeO₂,Co₃O₄和一系列Co₃O₄/CeO₂复合氧化物催化剂,在400 ℃下含SO₂的氧化气氛中对催化剂进行了硫中毒处理,通过原位红外光谱、X射线衍射、程序升温脱附和X射线光电子能谱对新鲜和硫中毒的样品进行了表征. 结果表明,所有测试的硫中毒样品上均形成了硫酸盐,CeO₂上累积的硫酸盐明显比Co₃O₄上的多,Co₃O₄/CeO₂复合氧化物在硫中毒过程中形成了硫酸钴和硫酸铈. 对新鲜和硫化样品在NO/O₂气氛下进行了催化炭黑燃烧实验,发现Co₃O₄/CeO₂复合氧化物的活性和抗硫性能优于CeO₂,但抗硫性能低于Co₃O₄.