The catalytic performance of mesoporous cerium oxides prepared through a nanocasting route for the total oxidation of naphthalene

Cerium oxides have been prepared by nanocasting of a mesoporous siliceous KIT-6. Through this synthesis method a partially ordered mesoporous structure, as demonstrated by several characterization techniques (N2 adsorption, XRD and HRTEM) has been obtained. Accordingly, very high surface areas have been achieved (up to 163 m2/g), despite using high calcination temperatures (550 °C). We have demonstrated that the aging temperature of the siliceous template is of outstanding importance, as this parameter is directly responsible for both the pore size and the surface area of the catalysts. In addition, whilst a low preparation temperature (40 °C) makes the further removal of the silica template difficult, higher temperatures lead to more compact frameworks with a higher interconnectivity among the networks. These cerium oxide materials have been tested as catalysts for the total oxidation of naphthalene, and display excellent activity, remarkably higher than commercial CeO2. The mesoporous ceria catalysts also demonstrate a high degree of stability with extended time-on-stream and most importantly using high reaction temperatures.