Co3O4@CeO2 Core@Shell Cubes: Designed Synthesis and Optimization of Catalytic Properties

Mastery of nanomaterial structure enables the control of its properties to enhance its performance for a given application. Herein, we demonstrate a fast and facile self-assembly method for the synthesis of a series of Co3O4@CeO2 core@shell cubes, which are characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses. The results indicate that the thickness of the CeO2 shell can be tuned through simple variation of the feeding molar ratio of Ce/Co. These Co3O4@CeO2 core@shell cubes are used for catalytic CO oxidation and show good catalytic properties. Moreover, the relationship between the catalytic performance and the CeO2 shell thickness is studied in depth to optimize the catalytic properties.