Nano-architectural advancement of CeO2-driven catalysis via electrospinning

Abstract

The recent technological advancements in heterogeneous catalysis have extensively focused on tailoring the ubiquitous ceria system into a new class of low-dimensional nanostructured materials with high aspect ratio and unique quantum physicochemical properties to achieve a superior catalytic performance. Among these developments, the electrospun features have become widely targeted, given their ease of nanoscale manipulation with the accessible coupling of the sol-gel process and electrospinning technique. In this review, a plethora of documented electrospun ceria-based nanofibers are mapped for the first time and an emphasis is given to their preparation methods. The nano-architectural engineering of ceria and its related mixed metal-oxide catalysts is surveyed with a main focus on energy production and environmental remediation. A preliminary overview about the primary tunable electrospinning parameters (e.g., solution processing, operating conditions and use of auxiliary configurations) to tailor the morphology, orientation and alignment of the fibers, is discussed. The intercorrelations among the electrospinning conditions and the resulting physicochemical properties and catalytic performance of a variety of low-dimensional CeO2-based systems are elucidated for the first time. Moreover, the benefits of the nanofibrous shape in heterogeneous catalysis are exemplified through applications in oxidation reactions, C1 catalytic chemistry, water-gas shift reaction, photocatalysis, and fuel cells.