Fabrication and characterization of sesame ball-like CeO2:Y3+/P(St–AA) composite microspheres based on electrostatic interaction

• Carboxylic functionalized monodisperse polystyrene microspheres with a rough surface had numerous active composite sites.
• Positively charged CeO2:Y3+ nanoparticles were prepared to obtain uniform dispersity.
• Sesame ball-like CeO2:Y3+/P(St–AA) composite microspheres were successfully fabricated.
• A facile and feasible approach based on electrostatic interaction has been established.

CeO2-based hybrid materials represent a unique class of functional composites with various applications in catalysis, sensors, solid oxide fuel cells, solar cells, and mechanical polishing. In this work, based on electrostatic interaction between carboxylic groups and rare earth cations, a facile and feasible approach to fabricate sesame ball-like CeO2:Y3+/P(St–AA) composite microspheres with excellent stability was established. Carboxylic functionalized mondisperse P(St–AA) microspheres were prepared by soap-free emulsion polymerization and then by composition with positively charged CeO2:Y3+ nanoparticles (NPs) at ambient temperature. The morphology of as-prepared samples was observed by SEM, TEM, and HAADF-STEM characterizations, and XRD, FT-IR, zeta-potential, EDS, DLS and conductometric titration were also used to investigate the structure and formation mechanism of the composite microspheres. With the advantages of tunable functional groups and loaded ions on the surface of P(St–AA) microspheres and CeO2:Y3+ NPs, respectively, this method could be further expanded for the preparation of various oxide/polymer hybrid composite microspheres.

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