Synthesis and properties of zirconium-cerium composite via solid-state route

This study synthesized CeO2-doped ZrO2 nanoparticles using the solid-state reaction, employing varying quantities of 0.05 mol.%, 0.15 mol.%, and 0.25 mol.% CeO2. The structures of CeO2-doped ZrO2 were investigated through XRD, revealing the presence of monoclinic ZrO2 in all samples, while the average size of the crystallite increased as the concentration of CeO2 doping increased. The optical band gap of CeO2-doped ZrO2 was determined using diffuse reflectance spectra, showing that the band gap decreased with increasing doping concentrations. The investigation focused on characterizing parameters such as dielectric constants, dielectric loss, and AC conductivity, emphasizing their frequency dependence at room temperature (RT). The dielectric constant and dielectric loss of Zr1- xCexO2 exhibited a significant drop as the frequency increased (Maxwell-Wagner polarization). Furthermore, the dielectric constant and dielectric loss factor in the lower frequency band exhibited an increase as the cerium content in ZrO2 increased. The incorporation of cerium significantly impacted the optical and electrical characteristics of composite ceramics consisting of CeO2 and ZrO2.