In-situ Structural Analysis on the Growth Mechanism Pathways of Hydrothermal Synthesized CeO_2 Nanocrystals

摘要

In most research, Oswald ripening and/or oriented aggregation processes are used to describe the Ceria (CeO_2) nano particles crystals growth mechanism pathway. However, these analysis on the crystals structures and morphologies are done after the hydrothermal reaction, making it challenging to assign the growth pathways of the nano crystals. In this work, we studied the detailed in-situ structural analysis on the growth mechanisms pathways of hydrothermal synthesized CeO_2 nanocrystals through the use of electron tomography. Based on the findings, oriented aggregation process plays the primarily role as the mechanism for CeO_2 nanocrystals growth in hydrothermal reactions, while Oswald ripening process plays a secondary role in hydrothermal reactions. The study provides a representative pathway for the initial nucleation and growth of CeO_2 for hydrothermal process in different synthesis conditions.