Mesoporous CeO2 nanoparticles synthesized by an inverse miniemulsion technique and their catalytic properties in methane oxidation

Cerium(IV) oxide nanoparticles were synthesized using an inverse miniemulsion technique with cerium nitrate hexahydrate as precursor. The resulting nanocrystallites are as small as 5 nm with a specific surface area of 158 m2 g-1 after calcination at 400 deg. C. With the addition of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) or (poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly(ethylene oxide)) triblock copolymers (PEO-PPO-PEO) as template in the miniemulsion droplets, the specific surface area can be increased up to 255 m2 g-1. The miniemulsions were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and the obtained oxides were examined by x-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen sorption (BET and BJH), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The catalytic activity of the resulting ceria was investigated for the temperature-programmed oxidation (TPO) of methane.