Nanoscale surface designing of Cerium oxide nanoparticles for controlling growth, stability, optical and thermal properties

The current work emphasises on the nanoscale surface designing of Cerium oxide (CeO2) nanoparticles in surfactant media. The structural properties of surfactant functionalized nanoparticles were characterized by using UV–vis, PL, FTIR, XRD, TEM, DLS and DSC. The comparative effect of surfactants in relation with head groups and counterions over the modification of CeO2 nanoparticles were also been assessed via analysing their thermal degradation mechanism and activation energy by TGA analysis. The comprehensive FTIR and TGA analysis were further been examined to investigate the stabilization mechanism of surfactants over CeO2 nanoparticles. The kinetics of thermal decomposition for every surfactant has also been analyzed by employing different models. The synthetic approach developed in this work will have the potential to modify the band gap of CeO2 nanoparticles which allow one to design new material with enhanced absorption activity, better control over growth, stability of nanoparticles which find potential impact in the development of solar cells.