Oxygen sensing with mesoporous ceria–zirconia solid solutions

Mesoporous ceria and ceria–zirconia solid solutions are synthesized and tested as an oxygen sensor. Two structures were selected for this study i.e. KIT-6 and SBA-15. Solid solutions are prepared through making replicas of synthesized mesoporous silica where these templates were impregnated with precursor materials. Structural analysis of the products confirmed formation of mesostructures. Existence of two oxidation states of cerium was also verified in XPS spectra of the samples. Thermogravimetry measurements showed large increase of oxygen storage capacity of these solid solutions – as compared to pure ceria – especially for Ce0.95Zr0.05O2 and response measurements show the relatively fast and stable response of the sensor to oxygen-containing atmospheres.