Abstract
Cerium oxide is a very interesting material that finds applications in many different fields, such as catalysis, energy conversion, and biomedicine. An interesting approach to unravel the complexity of real systems and obtain an improved understanding of cerium oxide-based materials is represented by the study of model systems in the form of epitaxial ultrathin films or nanostructures supported on single crystalline substrates. These materials often show interesting novel properties, induced by spatial confinement and by the interaction with the supporting substrate, and their understanding requires the use of advanced experimental techniques combined with computational modeling. Recent experimental and theoretical studies performed within this field are examined and discussed here, with emphasis on the new perspectives introduced in view of the optimization of cerium oxide-based materials for application in different fields.
Highlights
Cerium oxide is a subject of intense research in several different fields of materials science
The aim of the present review is to examine and discuss selected recent studies dealing with ultrathin epitaxial cerium oxide films and nanostructures, with emphasis on the novel properties induced by reduced dimensionality and/or by the proximity of a metallic substrate
This review is organized as follows: Section 2 focuses on the epitaxy of the films on different substrates, discussing issues related to the structural strain and to the interfacial charge configuration; Section 3 focuses on the oxidation state of the films at different thicknesses and preparation conditions and on the different morphologies observed; and Section 4 discusses the phases obtained when epitaxial films are deliberately reduced
Summary
Cerium oxide is a subject of intense research in several different fields of materials science. The atomic scale understanding of such systems often implies the use of state-of-the-art experimental techniques with high spatial and chemical resolution and high sensitivity, coupled with advanced theoretical modeling [10,11]. The outcomes of these studies are very relevant in view of the design of materials with optimized properties in the different fields of applications. The aim of the present review is to examine and discuss selected recent studies dealing with ultrathin epitaxial cerium oxide films and nanostructures, with emphasis on the novel properties induced by reduced dimensionality and/or by the proximity of a metallic substrate. This review is organized as follows: Section 2 focuses on the epitaxy of the films on different substrates, discussing issues related to the structural strain and to the interfacial charge configuration; Section 3 focuses on the oxidation state of the films at different thicknesses and preparation conditions and on the different morphologies observed; and Section 4 discusses the phases obtained when epitaxial films are deliberately reduced
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