Novel Synthesis of CeO₂ Nanoparticles Within Formamide/Tri(ethyleneglycol)monododecyl Ether/n-Octane Nonaqueous Microemulsion Systems

Abstract

The present study evaluates a new method to prepare Cerium oxide (CeO₂) nanoparticles by formamide/tri(ethyleneglycol)monododecyl ether (C₁₂E₃)/n-octane oil-continuous nonaqueous microemulsion. The effect of the polar phase (formamide/water) on the phase behavior, drop size, and conductivity behavior of the reverse microemulsion were investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the phase and morphology of synthesized CeO₂ nanoparticles. It was found that the CeO₂ powders synthesized within nonaqueous microemulsions and aqueous microemulisons had an average particle size of 30–50 nm and 15–40 nm, respectively. The experimental results indicate the formation mechanism of CeO₂ nanoparticles in formamide nonaqueous microemulsion and aqueous microemulsion is similar, and the formamide nonaqueous microemulsion can be used as nanoreactors for preparation of nanoparticles.

Keywords:

• Cerium oxide
• microemulsion
• nanoparticle
• nonaqueous

Acknowledgments

This work is supported financially by the Natural Science Foundation of Shanxi Province (No. 2008021016) and the Scientific Research and Development Program of Universities by Shanxi Provincial Education Ministry (No. 20080003). Prof. Gao Chuan-Zhou (Dalian Medical University) is greatly thanked for providing the TEM determination of ceria sample.