Structures and oxygen storage capacities of CeO2-ZrO2-Al2O3 ternary oxides prepared by a green route: supercritical anti-solvent precipitation

CeO2-ZrO2-Al2O3 ternary oxides were successfully prepared by a green route of supercritical anti-solvent precipitation with supercritical CO2 as anti-solvent and methanol as solvent. The structures and oxygen storage capacities of these ternary oxides were characterized by XRD, Raman spectra and oxygen storage capacity measurements. It was found that Al3+ and Zr4+ inserted into CeO2 lattice, forming CeO2-ZrO2-Al2O3 solid solution. The concentration of aluminium isopropoxide in the solution affected the concentration of oxygen vacancy and the distortion of oxygen sublattice which were responsible for the oxygen storage capacity. The rapidest oxygen uptake/release rate and maximum total oxygen storage capacity (122.0 mmolO2/molCeO2) were obtained with the aluminium isopropoxide concentration at 0.2 wt.% in the solution.