Thermal behavior and crystallization kinetics of cerium dioxide precursor powders

The thermal behavior and crystallization kinetics of cerium dioxide (CeO2) precursor powders synthesized using a precipitation route at 293 K and pH=9 were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry/thermogravimetry, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction, and high resolution TEM. The formula of precursor powders can be expressed as CeO2·1/2H2O. The activation energy of CeO2 crystallization from cerium dioxide precursors was obtained by the non-isothermal method and was 73.49 kJ/mol. The parameter of growth morphology (n) and index of crystallization were approximated as 2.0, meaning that two-dimensional growth with plate-like morphology was the primary mechanism of CeO2 crystallization from cerium dioxide precursor powders.