Preparation and Characterization of Pr-CeO2 Nano-Powders by Co-Precipitation-Hydrothermal Method
Pr-CeO2 nano-size powders with the average crystallites size of 12 nm and particle size of 18 nm were prepared by a co-precipitation-hydrothermal method using Ce(NO3)3·6H2O, Pr6O11 as raw materials and ammonia as the precipitation agent. The influence of hydrothermal treatment time, hydrothermal treatment temperature on the average crystallites size, color of powders and the solubility of praseodymium were investigated. The synthesized powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and color measurements. Results showed that after calcining at 800°C for 4 hours, the color of the as-prepared powder changes from light red to red brown, the solubility of praseodymium and the crystallites size of the Pr-CeO2 powder both increase.