Synthesis of Nanocrystalline CeO₂ with High Surface Area and Mesoporosity Using Template-Assisted Precipitation Method ☆

Nanocrystalline ceria with high surface area and mesoporosity was prepared by template-assisted precipitation method. The method of preparation was facile, using low-cost reagents and could be performed on a large scale. Cerium oxide support was characterized by Brunauner – Emmett - Teller (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The optimal conditions for cerium oxide synthesis were using cerium nitrate precursor, adjusting the final pH solution to 11.4 by NH4OH and ethylene diamine (EDA) and calcination at 550 °C in air for 3 hours. With these conditions, nanocrystalline CeO2 was obtained with high surface area of 159.5 m2/g.