Effect of yttrium on the formation of nanostructured mesoporous CeO2

Mesoporous CeO2 and yttrium doped CeO2 (YDC) were prepared by a sol-gel process and characterized by a variety of techniques. XRD patterns showed that the undoped and doped samples had a cubic fluorite structure. The grain size decreased from 24.8 to 6.1 nm at 500 A degrees C for pure CeO2 and YDC, respectively. N-2 adsorption-desorption isotherms showed that the samples possessed typical mesopore characteristics. The BET specific surface area of the samples increased from 23.04 to 151.49 m(2)/g for 300 A degrees C calcination after mesoporous CeO2 was doped with Y. It is found that the introduction of Y can inhibit the grain growth, and the presence of the pores also can be related to this obstacle to grain growth. These results are of great significance for the control of porous microstructure, crystallinity, and applications for the development of nanostructured mesoporous materials.