Synthesis and characterization of mixed-morphology CePO{sub 4} nanoparticles

• Published in: Journal of solid state chemistry Vol. 180; no. 3
• Main Authors: Karpowich, L., Wilcke, S., Yu, Rong, Harley, G., Reimer, J.A., De Jonghe, L.C., Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 15-03-2007
• Subjects: CERIUM OXIDES; CERIUM PHOSPHATES; INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; MONAZITES; MORPHOLOGY; NANOSTRUCTURES; NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE; PARTICLES; PHOSPHORIC ACID; POLYCRYSTALS; SPECTROSCOPY; SPIN-LATTICE RELAXATION; SYNTHESIS; TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY; X-RAY DIFFRACTION
• ISSN: 0022-4596; 1095-726X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jssc.2006.12.009

Cerium phosphate nanoparticles with diameters of 10-180 nm were synthesized by a variety of solution techniques. X-ray diffraction (XRD) determined the crystalline phase(s) present in each sample. Population, shift, and spin-lattice relaxation {sup 31}P solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements accounted for all the {sup 31}P nuclei expected in each sample, and were able to distinguish between phosphorous nuclei in different environments and phases. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterized the morphology and crystallinity of the powder samples as well as of the sintered compacts of the powders. In conjunction with TEM, energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) provided a measure of the composition of the bulk intergranular regions within each CePO{sub 4} sample. The presence of an amorphous, phosphate-rich intergranular phase was found in those samples prepared by dissolution of ceria in H{sub 3}PO{sub 4} under various conditions. - Graphical abstract: High resolution electron microscopy image of amorphous intergranular phase (a) in polycrystalline monazite CePO{sub 4}.