Structure transformations and reducibility of nanocrystalline Ce1−xYbxO2−(x/2) mixed oxides

This work presents results of multitechnique (HRTEM, EDX, XRD, XPS, ICP, BET and EELS) studies on structure evolution of nanocrystalline ceria-based Ce1−xYbxO2−(x/2) mixed oxides with increasing Yb content. Nano-sized (∼5 nm) mixed oxides were prepared by precipitation in water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsion method. No phase separation or/and segregation were observed for studied samples after heating in oxygen up to 950 °C. Realistic models of the intermediate structures (defected F- and C-type) for mixed oxides and mechanism of CeO2 → Ce1−xYbxO2−(x/2) → Yb2O3 structural changes have been proposed and tested (HRTEM images and diffraction patterns simulation). Reducibility of Ce1−xYbxO2−(x/2) mixed oxides and its changes with increasing of Yb content was measured and correlated with the structure features. The highest reducibility of Ce ions was observed for Ce0.5Yb0.5O1.75, which has a structure intermediate between F and C-type, with maximum number of defects and the highest average strain.

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► Homogeneous ceria-based Ce1−xYbxO2−(x/2) were obtained by microemulsion method.
► We proposed intermediate F- and C-structures for modelling the mixed oxides.
► Reducibility of Ce–Yb mixed oxides was measured and correlated with the structure.