Formation and reaction activity of CeO2 nanoparticles of cubic structure and various shaped CeO2–TiO2 composite nanostructures

Mono-dispersed cubic CeO2 nanoparticles have been synthesized using a surfactant-assisted method with laurylamine hydrochloride and cerium alkoxide modified with acetylacetone in an aqueous solution system. The prepared cubic CeO2 nanoparticles had a highly crystallized structure at 353 K and formed rod-like structures by calcination at 673 K after freeze-drying the CeO2 gel. We discovered a clear potential to make 1D, 2D or 3D CeO2-materials with a well-controlled characteristic length and shape by assembling cubic-shaped CeO2 nanoparticle building blocks.