Cerium-Based Materials: Synthesis, Properties and Applications

The redox behavior of cerium is responsible for its high technological importance since ceria serves as a potential material in assorted applications. Changes in the optical, electrical, magnetic, and catalytic behavior of ceria can be brought about by employing different methodologies and reaction conditions. The high thermal and structural stability of ceria offers its utilization as a host lattice for various doping schemes. The incorporation of dopant elements beautifies the lattice by generating oxygen vacancies and thereby creating various interesting properties. Aiming with the stabilization of ceria and ceria-based compounds in nano-dimensions also opens up various new possibilities to explore it further for numerous useful applications.

Pristine ceria is an extensively explored nanomaterial. In order to improve physiochemical properties of ceria and ceria based materials, a different synthetic strategy has been employed which has been highlighted in the current chapter. The high stability of pristine ceria offers an opportunity to utilize it as a host lattice against the doping/substitution of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, transition metals, rare earth and noble metals. This way incorporation of different valence metals ion into ceria causes structural distortion which further facilitates alteration of the physical and chemical properties of host lattice. Diverse synthetic conditions are used to stabilize ceria and ceria-based materials in nano-resime having morphologies such as nanowires, nanocubes, nanospheres, nanotubes and many more. Thus, different morphologies of ceria and ceria-based materials are mainly applicable for their high technological importance. The synthesized samples can be characterized by using powder X-ray diffraction, Raman scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. 

This chapter pivots on the employment of Ce-based catalysts in numerous catalytic applications glancing at the foremost commercial technologies due to their high abundance in the earth’s crust. Ceria in essence to their proficiency to harmonize Ce (III) & Ce (IV)-oxidation states depending on oxygen availability, which is known as oxygen-storage capacity, is at the heart of the potentiality of Ce-based materials to exemplify as a catalyst in numerous reactions. Ceria being one of the most auspicious materials in use since 1980 onwards, has strongly dilated to affect several processes for chemical transformations by and large for energy and environmental applications. In this chapter, we will review some of the ingrained applications of Ce-based catalysts and, we will try to display a brief rundown of emerging technologies in this ongoing field to encourage further reading.

This chapter pivots on Ce-based catalysts’ employment in numerous catalytic applications glancing at the foremost commercial technologies due to their high abundance in the earth's crust. Ceria - CeO2 is considered the most stable oxide which confirms that Ce3+ prefers the oxidation state than the Ce4+ oxidation state. This is also known as oxygen - storage capacity. CeO2 shows good photocatalytic activity. This chapter explores the important properties of Ce and CeO2 with a comparison of their bulk properties with their properties at the nanoscale. Further, different synthesis processes of Ce and CeO2 nanoparticles have been discussed. Later, the chapter addresses the mechanism of photocatalysis using CeO2 nanoparticles. Further, the chapter discusses applications and studies of doped CeO2 based photocatalysts, and we will try to display a brief rundown of emerging technologies in the ongoing field to encourage further reading. 

Cerium-based materials have established themselves as biologically active materials with a wide range of pharmacological benefits. In particular, Nanoceria has been proven to be the most versatile and effective therapeutic agent due to its surface area-to-volume ratio. In this chapter, we made an attempt to discuss all important therapeutic applications of Cerium based materials. Also, the mechanistic course of action of cerium-based materials has been emphasized in this chapter. Moreover, the possible toxicity of cerium-based materials in the biological system has been reviewed in the later section of this chapter.