Unraveling the physical chemistry and materials science of CeO2-based nanostructures

Summary

CeO₂-based nanostructures have recently aroused interest for various applications because of their higher OSC and redox properties, allowing them to facilely switch between the oxidation states of Ce⁴⁺ and Ce³⁺. There are many studies that have been focused on the morphology-dependent catalysis and identification of the true active sites during catalysis reactions. Probing the intrinsic properties of CeO₂ nanostructures, including the surface structure and reduction, oxygen vacancy, grain boundary, morphology, and dynamic structure under environmental conditions, is essential in clarifying their physical and chemical properties and expanding their potential applications. In this review, we summarize recent significant achievements in characterizing CeO₂ nanostructures and related catalytic phenomena through advanced techniques. Several studies using model CeO₂ catalysts have been selected to show the importance of strong metal-support interactions. A deep insight into the active sites in morphologically controllable CeO₂ that exposes the highly active facets is expected to guide the design of nanocatalysts.