Preparative methods and recent technological applications of ceria -based nanostructured catalyst materials in chemical and other fields – a review

ABSTRACT

Cerium is one of the best performing rare earth metal which comes under lanthanide series in periodic table.  Cerium can exist in +3 and +4 oxidation states.  Because of good physico-chemical properties, ceria based nanostructures have drawn attention in recent years.  Pure and doped ceria materials have excellent catalytic, oxygen exchange and charge transport performances. Different elements, such as, gadolinium, samarium, yttrium, copper, cobalt, nickel, manganese, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, sulphur, lanthanum, praseodymium, etc. can be doped into CeO₂ nanospheres. Ceria based materials can be synthesized by different techniques, such as, homogeneous precipitation, sol-gel process, sonochemical synthesis, thermal decomposition, etc. Because of the tremendous characteristics, ceria nanostructures have been used in variety of fields. This review provides a comprehensive overview on various synthetic techniques employed to prepare ceria based nanoparticles of varying size, surface characteristics, functionalities and physico-chemical behavior.  The key applications of ceria based nanoparticles have also been discussed. 

Graphical Abstract

KEYWORDS:

• Nanoceria
• synthetic routes
• physico-chemical characteristics
• technological applications in chemical and other fields

Acknowledgments

ASN would like to thank Central Power Research Institute (Ministry of Power, Govt. of India) (Grant No.CPRI/R&D/TC/GDEC/2019, dated 06-02-2019) for financial support. The authors sincerely acknowledge Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences for providing necessary facilities to initiate fuel cells research activity in the Department of Applied Chemistry.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Central Power Research Institute (Ministry of Power, Govt. of India) [CPRI/ R&D/ TC/ GDEC/ 2019].

Notes on contributors

M. L. Reni

M. L. Reni completed his M.Sc. in Chemistry from University of Kerala in 2005. He completed his Ph.D. in the field of Nanomaterials Chemistry from Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, India in 2016. Currently he is working as an Instructor in the Department of Applied Sciences, Higher College of Technology, Muscat since 2016.

A. Samson Nesaraj

A. Samson Nesaraj has completed his Ph.D. from Central Electrochemical Research Institute, Karaikudi, India in 2004. Currently, he is working as a Professor in the Department of Applied Chemistry, Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore, India. He is working in the field of development of nanomaterials for application in electrochemical energy conversion systems since 1996. He has published more than 60 research articles in reputed journals. He has total citations: 560, h- index: 13, i-10 index: 16.