Low-temperature thermocatalytic particulate carbon decomposition via urea solution-combustion derived CeO2 nanostructures

A facile, one-pot, urea solution combustion route was utilized to synthesize highly catalytic CeO2 nanostructures. CeO2 prepared under varying thermal conditions was characterized by electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, infrared and Raman techniques. As the synthesis temperature is raised from 400 to 1000 degrees C, the crystallite size and dspacing of nanoparticles are observed to reduce while cell parameters remain in the same range. Particle size exhibits an accession from-20 to-50 nm along the process. Initial CeO2 nanoparticles are detected as a composite structure of CeO2 and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) produced by the pyrolysis of urea. Concerning the solid carbon particulate oxidation capacity, an outstanding performance is exhibited by CeO2 synthesized at 800 degrees C where the oxidation onset temperature is reduced by 27% compared with the others. The superior performance is attributed to the carbon nitride-generated unique CeO2 nanomorphology consolidating ample reactive sites and facilitated oxygen delivery for a highly efficient thermocatalytic process. Concerning atmospheric pollution mitigation, synthesis of these CeO2 nanostructures represents a cost effective and convenient abatement technique for carbon particulates in comparison to cost-intensive, environmentally detrimental and noble-metal based techniques. (c) 2021 Chinese Society of Rare Earths. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

A facile urea solution combustion method was used for synthesizing highly catalytic CeO2 nanostructures with varying properties under different thermal conditions. CeO2 synthesized at 800 degrees C exhibited superior catalytic performance compared to others, attributed to its unique nanomorphology. The synthesis of these CeO2 nanostructures represents a cost-effective and convenient abatement technique for carbon particulates in atmospheric pollution mitigation.