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Combining in-situ TEM observations and theoretical calculation for revealing the thermal stability of CeO2 nanoflowers

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Abstract

The thermal stability of CeO2 nanomaterials can directly impact both the uniformity of the supported catalysts and the catalytic behavior of CeO2 itself. However, knowledge about the thermal stability of CeO2 is still deficient. Here, we conduct in-situ transmission electron microscopy experiments and theoretical calculations to elucidate the thermal stability of CeO2 nanomaterials under different environments. A sinter (< 700 °C) and a structural decomposition (> 700 °C) are observed within CeO2 nanoflowers under O2. The sinter firstly occurs among the nanoflowers’ monomers and then the sintered nanoparticles structurally decompose to tiny nanoparticles from the strain interface. Under a vacuum environment, the CeO2 nanoflowers firstly undergo a transition from cubic fluorite CeO2 to hexagonal Ce2O3, accompanied by the oxygen release. The Ce2O3 nanoparticles further atomically sublimate from the edges to the center under high temperatures. Theoretical calculation results reveal a considerably lower energy barrier for the structural decomposition under O2 and for the sublimation under vacuum. This work provides a perspective on the structural design and performance optimization of CeO2-based catalysts.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2017YFA0204800), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 11674052, 11525415, and 21975042), and the Project of Six Talents Climax Foundation of Jiangsu (Nos. XNL-044 and XCL-082).

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  1. Mingyun Zhu and Kuibo Yin contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. SEU-FEI Nano-Pico Center, Key Laboratory of MEMS of Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China

    Mingyun Zhu, Kuibo Yin, Yifeng Wen, Shugui Song, Yuwei Xiong & Litao Sun

  2. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China

    Yunqian Dai

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  1. Mingyun Zhu
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  2. Kuibo Yin
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Correspondence to Kuibo Yin, Yunqian Dai or Litao Sun.

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Zhu, M., Yin, K., Wen, Y. et al. Combining in-situ TEM observations and theoretical calculation for revealing the thermal stability of CeO2 nanoflowers. Nano Res. 15, 1319–1326 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-021-3659-6

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