TY  - JOUR
A1  - Primus, Philipp-Alexander
A1  - Menski, Antonia
A1  - Yeste, Maria Pilar
A1  - Cauqui, Miguel Angel
A1  - Kumke, Michael Uwe
T1  - Fluorescence Line-Narrowing Spectroscopy as a Tool to Monitor Phase Transitions and Phase Separation in Efficient Nanocrystalline CexZr1-xO2:Eu3+ Catalyst Materials
JF  - The journal of physical chemistry : C, Nanomaterials and interfaces
N2  - Despite the wide range of industrial applications for ceria-zirconia mixed oxides (CexZr1-xO2), the complex correlation between their atomic structure and catalytic performance is still under debate. Catalytically interesting CexZr1-xO2 nanomaterials can form homogeneous solid solutions and, depending on the composition, show phase separation under the formation of small domains. The characterization of homogeneity and atomic structure of these materials remains a major challenge. High-resolution emission spectroscopy recorded under cryogenic conditions using Eu3+ as a structural probe in doped CeZrO2 nanoparticles offers an effective way to identify the different atomic environments of the Eu3+ dopants and, subsequently, to monitor structural parameters of the ceria-zirconia mixed oxides. It is found that, in stoichiometric CeZrO2:Eu3+, phase separation occurs at elevated temperatures beginning with the gradual formation of (pseudo)cubic crystallites in the amorphous materials at 500 degrees C and a sudden phase separation into tetragonal, zirconia-rich and cubic, ceria-rich domains over 900 degrees C. The presented technique allows us to easily monitor subtle changes even in amorphous, high surface area samples, yielding structural information not accessible by conventional techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman. Moreover, in reference experiments investigating the reducibility of largely unordered Ce0.2Zr0.8O2:Eu3+, the main reduction peak in temperature-programmed reduction measurements appeared at exceptionally low temperatures below 200 degrees C, thus suggesting the outstanding potential of this oxide to activate catalytic oxidation reactions. This effect was found to be dependent on the amount of Eu3+ dopant introduced into the CeZrO2 matrix as well as to be connected to the atomic structure of the catalyst material.
Y1  - 2015
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.5b01271
SN  - 1932-7447
VL  - 119
IS  - 19
SP  - 10682
EP  - 10692
PB  - American Chemical Society
CY  - Washington
ER  -