Preparation and characterization of cerium oxide templated from activated carbon

The application of carbon templating to the preparation of cerium oxide and cerium-zirconium mixed oxide was investigated. Impregnation of a highly mesoporous activated carbon (Darco KB-B) with aqueous cerium nitrate, followed by calcination to remove the template, afforded nanocrystalline ceria with a surface area of up to 148 m(2)/g. Ceria-zirconia with surface area of 148 m(2)/g was similarly prepared. TEM studies on the ceria product revealed the presence of a polycrystalline phase, comprised of irregular aggregates of ceria crystallites of ca. 6.5 nm diameter. Use of activated carbon fibers (ACFs) as templates afforded ceria with a gross morphology resembling that of the fiber template. The lower surface areas (3-59 m(2)/g) of the resulting ceria reflect the mainly microporous nature of the ACFs; evidently the Ce nitrate solution is largely unable to penetrate the micropores. TEM showed the ceria fibers to be comprised of crystallites possessing a morphology similar to the Darco KB-B templated ceria.