Preparation of 3D cerium-based coordination polymer microstructures and their conversion to ceria†
Abstract
A simple and practicable hydrothermal process was engaged for the synthesis of three-dimensional (3D) flowerlike cerium-based coordination polymer (CP) microstructures employing 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid (BTTA) as the organic linker. Ceria with similar flowerlike microstructures was obtained after thermolysis of the cerium-based CP microstructures at 600 °C for 4 h. The products were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (IR), thermogravimetric (TG) and derivative thermogravimetric (DTG) analyses and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Barrett–Emmett–Teller (BET) nitrogen sorption was also carried out. SEM images show that the ceria is porous, with diameters varying from 5 to 10 μm. The measured specific surface area of the ceria flowers is 48.31 m2 g−1. Other lanthanide-based CP microstructures were also prepared using this method and characterized.