Nanostructured Cerium Oxide Catalysts in Catalytic Applications

Nanostructured cerium oxide (CeO₂) catalysts harness the unique redox flexibility and oxygen‐storage capacity of the Ce⁴⁺/Ce³⁺ couple. At the nanoscale, shape and defect engineering yield tailored surface areas, exposed crystallographic facets and oxygen vacancy concentrations, all of which govern catalytic performance. CeO₂ nanorods often display enhanced reducibility and high defect densities, nanocubes offer facet‐specific stability, while two‐dimensional morphologies such as nanoflakes resist sintering at elevated temperatures. These characteristics underpin applications in automotive emission control, carbon monoxide oxidation, volatile organic compound abatement, water‐splitting photocatalysis and fuel‐cell electrodes. Integration with transition metals or composite supports further improves active‐site dispersion and tuneable adsorption properties. Advances in synthesis—from hydrothermal routes and flame spray pyrolysis to continuous microreactor platforms—have enabled scalable access to defect-rich nanoceria. Collectively, these developments have broadened the global impact of ceria catalysts in energy conversion, environmental remediation and industrial chemistry.

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Nanostructured Cerium Oxide Catalysts in Catalytic Applications publication trend

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Technical terms

Oxygen vacancy: A missing oxygen atom in the ceria lattice that facilitates redox cycling and enhances catalytic activity.

Redox cycling: The reversible transition between Ce⁴⁺ and Ce³⁺ oxidation states, enabling oxygen storage and release during catalytic processes.

Hydrothermal synthesis: A solution-based method conducted under elevated temperature and pressure to control nanocrystal nucleation and growth.

Deep eutectic solvent: A low-melting mixture of hydrogen-bond donors and acceptors used as an eco-friendly medium that promotes rapid nucleation.

Sacrificial template: A removable scaffold, such as graphene oxide, employed to impose specific nanostructured morphologies during material formation.

References

1. Enhanced ceria nanoflakes using graphene oxide as a sacrificial template for CO oxidation and dry reforming of methane. Applied Catalysis B Environment and Energy (2019).
2. Tuning the Catalytic Properties of Copper-Promoted Nanoceria via a Hydrothermal Method. Catalysts (2019).
3. Fast Synthesis of CeO2 Nanoparticles in a Continuous Microreactor Using Deep Eutectic Reline As Solvent. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering (2020).