Sonochemical synthesis of a new nano-sized cerium(III) coordination polymer and its conversion to nanoceria

• A new cerium(III) coordination polymer, [Ce(pzdc)(pzdcH)(H2O)3]n (1), was synthesized.
• Nanostructures of [Ce(pzdc)(pzdcH)(H2O)3]n were prepared by a sonochemical process.
• Nanoceria was obtained from the nano-compound of [Ce(pzdc)(pzdcH)(H2O)3]n.
• Crystal structure of new cerium(III) CP were determined by X-ray crystallography.
• The fluorescent properties of cerium(III) CP at room temperature were studied.

Nanoparticles of a new two-dimensional cerium(III) coordination polymer compound, [Ce(pzdc)(pzdcH)(H2O)3]n (1), (H2pzdc = 2,3-pyrazinedicarboxylic acid), have been synthesized by a sonochemical process and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), FT-IR spectroscopy and elemental analyses. Compound 1 was structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction and was shown that it consists of 2D sheets that construct a three-dimensional supramolecular architecture via non-covalent interactions i.e. hydrogen bonding. The thermal stability of compound 1 both for its crystals and nanostructures has been studied by the thermal gravimetric (TG) method and compared with each other. The role of ultrasound irradiation power and the concentration of initial reactants on the size and morphology of the nano-structured compound 1, has been investigated. Calcination of compound 1 at 800 °C under air atmosphere yields ceria nanoparticles. Furthermore, the fluorescent properties of compound 1 at room temperature were studied.