Preparation and catalytic behavior of CeO2 nanoparticles on Al2O3 crystal

Abstract In this work, we examined the preparation, morphology, and catalytic behavior of CeO 2 nanoparticles (NPs) on Al 2 O 3 (0001) crystal substrates. A CeO 2 NP layer was prepared by the dipping method using a CeO 2 nanocrystal colloid solution. Even after heat treatment at 1000 °C, the CeO 2 NP layer maintained the granular morphology of CeO 2 with a grain diameter of less than 40 nm. CeO 2 NPs on an Al 2 O 3 crystal showed higher oxidation activity for gaseous hydrogen at moderate temperatures and enhanced oxygen release properties of CeO 2 , compared with CeO 2 powder. This was due to the highly dispersed CeO 2 NPs and the interaction between CeO 2 NPs and Al 2 O 3 ; this clarified the importance of the Al 2 O 3 support for the CeO 2 catalyst.