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High resolution mapping of surface reduction in ceria nanoparticles
Stuart Turner1, Sorin Lazar, Bert Freitag
1EMAT, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium. stuart.turner@ua.ac.be
Nanoscale
|July 2, 2011
Summary
Surface reduction in ceria nanoparticles creates oxygen vacancies, forming a Ce(3+) shell. This shell is thinner on {111} facets and thicker on {100} facets, explaining higher catalytic activity on the latter.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Surface Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Ceria (cerium oxide) nanoparticles are crucial catalysts.
- Surface properties significantly influence ceria's catalytic activity.
- Understanding surface reduction is key to optimizing ceria performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the surface reduction of ceria nano octahedra.
- To map the valency of cerium ions at nanoparticle surfaces.
- To correlate surface structure with reduction extent and catalytic activity.
Main Methods:
- Aberration-corrected Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM).
- Spatially resolved Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) with high energy and atomic resolution.
- Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM)-EELS mapping.
Main Results:
- Surface reduction of ceria nanoparticles leads to oxygen vacancies and a Ce(3+) shell.
- The Ce(3+) shell thickness varies with surface facet: thinner on {111} (1-2 planes) and thicker on {100} (5-6 planes).
- Higher oxygen vacancy concentration on {100} facets was observed.
Conclusions:
- The study elucidates the relationship between ceria surface structure and reduction.
- Thicker reduction shells on {100} facets provide a mechanism for their enhanced catalytic activity.
- Findings offer insights for designing high-performance ceria-based catalysts.
