Correlation of Oxygen Storage Capacity and Structural Distortion in Transition-Metal-, Noble-Metal-, and Rare-Earth-Ion-Substituted CeO2 from First Principles Calculation

Oxygen storage/release (OSC) capacity is an important feature common to all three-way catalysts to combat harmful exhaust emissions. To understand the mechanism of improved OSC for doped CeO2, we undertook the structural investigation by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), H-2-TPR (temperature-programmed hydrogen reduction) and density functional theoretical (DFT) calculations of transition-metal-, noble-metal-, and rare-earth (RE)-ion-substituted ceria. In this report, we present the relationship between the OSC and structural changes induced by the dopant ion in CeO2. Transition metal and noble metal ion substitution in ceria greatly enhances the reducibility of Ce1-xMxO2-delta (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Pd, Pt, Ru), whereas rare-earth-ion-substituted Ce(1-x)A(x)O(2-delta) (A = La, Y) have very little effect in improving the OSC. Our simulated optimized structure shows deviation in cation oxygen bond length from ideal bond length of 2.34 angstrom (for CeO2). For example, our theoretical calculation for Ce28Mn4O62 structure shows that Mn-O bonds are in 4 + 2 coordination with average bond lengths of 2.0 and 3.06 angstrom respectively. Although the four short Mn-O bond lengths spans the bond distance region of Mn2O3, the other two Mn-O bonds are moved to longer distances. The dopant transition and noble metal ions also affects Ce coordination shell and results in the formation of longer Ce-O bonds as well. Thus longer cation oxygen bonds for both dopant and host ions results in enhanced synergistic reduction of the solid solution. With Pd ion substitution in Ce1-xMxO2-delta (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu) further enhancement in OSC is observed in H-2-TPR. This effect is reflected in our model calculations by the presence of still longer bonds compared to the model without Pd ion doping. The synergistic effect is therefore due to enhanced reducibility of both dopant and host ion induced due to structural distortion of fluorite lattice in presence of dopant ion. For RE ions (RE = Y, La), our calculations show very little deviation of bonds lengths from ideal fluorite structure. The absence of longer Y-O/La-O and Ce-O bonds make the structure much less susceptible to reduction.

Synthesis, Structure and Optical Studies of a Family of Three-Dimensional Rare-Earth Aminoisophthalates M(mu(2)-OH)(C8H5NO4)] (M = Y3+, La3+, Pr3+, Nd3+, Sm3+, Eu3+, Gd3+, Dy3+, and Er3+)

A hydrothermal reaction of the acetate salts of the rare-earths, 5-aminoisophthalic acid (H(2)AIP), and NaOH at 150 degrees C for 3 days gave rise to a new family of three-dimensional rare-earth aminoisophthalates, M(mu(2)-OH)(C8H5NO4)] M = Y3+ (I), La3+ (II), Pr3+ (III), Nd3+ (IV), Sm3+ (V), Eu3+ (VI), Gd3+ (VII), Dy3+ (VIII), and Er3+ (IX)]. The structures contain M-O(H)-M chains connected by AIP anions. The AIP ions are connected to five metal centers and each metal center is connected with five AIP anions giving rise to a unique (5,5) net. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first observation of a (5,5) net in metal-organic frameworks that involve rare-earth elements. The doping of Eu3+/(3+) ions in place of Y3+/ La3+ in the parent structures gave rise to characteristic metal-centered emission (red = Eu3+, green = Tb3+). Life-time studies indicated that the excited emission states in the case of Eu3+ (4 mol-% doped) are in the range 0.287-0.490 ms and for Tb3+ (4 mol-% doped) are in the range of 1.265-1.702 ms. The Nd3+-containing compound exhibits up-conversion behavior based on two-photon absorption when excited using lambda = 580 nm.

On the evaluation of stability of rare earth oxides as face coats for investment casting of titanium

Attempts have been made to evaluate the thermal stability of rare earth oxide face coats against liquid titanium. Determination of microhardness profiles and concentration profiles of oxygen and metallic constituents of oxide in investment cast titanium rods has allowed grActation of relative stability of rare earth oxides. The relative stability of evaluated oxides in the order of increasing stability follows the sequence CeO2 — ZrO2 — Gd2O3 — didymium oxide — Sm2O3 —Nd2O3 — Y2O3. The grading does not follow the free energy data of the formation of these oxides. A better correlation with the experimental observations is obtained when the solubility of the metallic species in titanium is also taken into consideration.

Combustion synthesis of rare earth cuprates

Rare earth cuprates, La2CuO4 Nd2CuO4, La1.8M0.2CuO4 (M=Ca.Sr) and Nd1.85Ce0.15CuO4 have been prepared by the combustion of redox mixtures containing corresponding metal nitrates and maleic hydrazide, C4H4N2O2, at 350°C. The solid combustion products are submicron size amorphous powders which on heat treatment (700°C, 30 minutes) yield crystalline single phase cuprates. Strontium doped lanthanum cuprate, La1.8Sr0.2CuO4, shows an onset of superconductivity at 36K.

Combustion synthesis and properties of fine-particle rare-earth-metal zirconates, Ln2Zr2O7

Fine-particle rare-earth-metal zirconates, Ln2Zr2O7, where Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd and Dy having the pyrochlore structure have been prepared using a novel combustion process. The process employs aqueous solutions of the corresponding rare-earth-metal nitrate, zirconium nitrate and carbohydrazide/urea in the required molar ratio. When the solution is rapidly heated to 350–500 °C it boils, foams and burns autocatalytically to yield voluminous oxides. The formation of single-phase Ln2Zr2O7 has been confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction, infrared and fluorescence spectroscopy. The solid combustion products are fine, having surface areas in the range 6–20 m2 g–1. The cold-pressed Pr2Zr2O7 compact when sintered at 1500 °C, 4 h in air, achieved 99% theoretical density.

Magnetic properties of rare earth nickelates of the Ln(2)BaNiO(5) family

Rare-earth nickelates Ln(2)BaNi(1-x)Cu(2)O(5), Ln = Nd and Dy, and Dy2-xYxBaNiO5 have been synthesized in order to investigate the effect of substitution of Ni by Cu and Dy by nonmagnetic Y on the magnetic properties of the nickelates. In Ln(2)BaNi(1-x)Cu(x)O(5), the nickelate structure (x=0.0) changes to the cuprate structure (x=1.0) at a specific composition (x=0.3). The Neel temperature of Nd2BaNi1-xCuxO5 decreases continuously with increase in x upto x=0.3 (T-N = 18K); when x > 0.3, the materials are paramagnetic down to 20K. The mu(eff) in Nd2BaNi1-xCxO5 essentially corresponds to the contribution of the Nd ions. In Dy2-xYxBaNiO5, the Neel temperature decreases from 40K when x=0.0 to 24K when x=1.5. The compositions with 1.5 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 2 (including the x=1.95 composition) are paramagnetic down to 20K, unlike Y2BaNiO5 (x=2.0) which exhibits a T-N of 370K. Even the smallest concentration of paramagnetic Dy seems to destroy the antiferromagnetic Ni-O-Ni chains in Y2BaNiO5.

New uniform solid catalyst for the low-temperature oxidation of carbon monoxide: A triple-layered rare earth perovskite containing Co and Cu ions

Oxygen reactivity and catalytic activity of the cobalt-containing layered defect perovskites, YBa2Cu2CoO7+delta and LaBa2Cu2CoO7+delta, in comparison with LaBa2Cu3O7-delta have been investigated employing temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and temperature-programmed surface reactions (TPSR) in the stoichiometric and catalytic mode using carbon monoxide as a probe molecule. TPD studies showed evidence for the presence of two distinct labile oxygen species, one at (0 0 1/2) sites and the other at (0 1/2 0) sites in LaBa2Cu2CoO7+delta against a single labile species at (0 1/2 0) in the case of two other oxides. The activation energies for the catalytic oxidation of carbon monoxide by oxygen over LaBa2Cu3O7-delta, YBa2Cu2CoO7+delta, and LaBa2Cu2CoO7+delta have been estimated to be 24.2, 15.9, and 13.6 kcal/mol, respectively. The reactivity and catalytic activity of the oxide systems have been interpreted in terms of the structural changes brought about by substituents, guided by a directing effect of the larger rare earth cation. TPSR profiles, structural analysis, and infrared spectroscopic investigations suggest that the oxygen present at (0 0 1/2) sites in the case of LaBa2Cu2CoO7+delta is accessible to catalytic oxidation of CO through a Mars-Van Krevelen pathway. Catalytic conversion of CO to CO2 over LaBa2Cu2CoO7+delta occurs at 200 degrees C. The enhanced reactivity is explained in terms of changes brought about in the coordination polyhedra around transition metals, enhanced basal plane oxygen diffusivity, and redox potentials of the different transition metal cations.

Synthesis and properties of rare earth doped lamp phosphors

Red, blue and green emitting lamp phosphors such as EU(3+) doped Y2O3 (red phosphor), EU(2+) doped Ba0.64Al12O18.64, BaMgAl10O17 and BaMg2Al16O27 (blue phosphors) and Ce0.67Tb0.33MgAl11O19 and Eu2+, Mn2+ doped BaMgAl10O17 (green phosphors) have been prepared by the combustion of the corresponding metal nitrates (oxidizer) and oxalyl dihydrazide/urea/carbohydrazide (fuel) mixtures at 400 degrees-500 degrees C within 5 min. The formation of these phosphors has been confirmed by their characteristic powder X-ray diffraction patterns and fluorescence spectra. The phosphors showed characteristic emission bands at 611 nm (red emission), 430-450 nm (blue emission) and 515-540 nm (green emission). The fine-particle nature of the combustion derived phosphors has been investigated using powder density, particle size and BET surface area measurements.

The nature of charge ordering in rare earth manganates and its strong dependence on the size of the A-site cations

Charge ordering in rare earth manganates of the type Ln(0.5)A(0.5)MnO(3) (Ln = rare earth, A = alkaline earth) is highly sensitive to the average radius of the A-site cations, [r(A)]. Tn the small [r(A)] regime (e.g., Y0.5Ca0.5MnO3), charge ordering occurs in the paramagnetic state, the transformation to an antiferromagnetic state occurring at still lower temperatures. At moderate [r(A)] values (e.g., Nd0.5Sr0.5MnO3), a ferromagnetic metallic state transforms to a charge-ordered antiferromagnetic state with cooling. These two distinct types of charge ordering and associated properties are explained in terms of the variation of the exchange couplings J(FM) and J(AFM) with [r(A)] and the invariance of the single-ion Jahn-Teller energy with [r(A)]. A qualitative temperature-[r(A)] phase diagram, consistent with the experimental observations, has been constructed to describe the properties of the manganates in the different [r(A)] regimes. (C) 1997 Academic Press.

Nonlinear electrical conduction and broad band noise in the charge-ordered rare earth manganate Nd0.5Ca0.5MnO3

Measurements of the dc transport properties and the low-frequency conductivity noise in films of charge-ordered Nd0.5Ca0.5MnO3 grown on Si substrate reveal the existence of a threshold field in the charge-ordered regime beyond which strong nonlinear conduction sets in along with a large broad band conductivity noise. Threshold-dependent conduction disappears as T --> T-CO, the charge-ordering temperature. This observation suggests that the charge-ordered state gets depinned at the onset of the nonlinear conduction. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(99)05247-X].

Studies on strontium substituted rare earth manganites

Sintering, electrical conductivity and thermal expansion behaviour of combustion synthesised strontium substituted rare earth manganites with the general formula Ln(1-x)Sr(x)MnO(3) (Ln = Pr, Nd and Sm; x = 0, 0.16 and 0.25) have been investigated as solid oxide fuel cell cathode materials. The combustion derived rare earth manganites have surface area in the range of 13-40 m(2)/g. Strontium substitution increases the electrical conductivity values in all the rare earth manganites. With the decreasing ionic radii of rare earth ions, the conductivity value decreases. Among the rare earth manganites studied, (Pr/Nd)(0.75)Sr0.25MnO3 show high electrical conductivity ( > 100 S/cm). The thermal expansion coefficients of Pr0.75Sr0.25MnO3 and Nd0.75Sr0.25MnO3 were found to be 10.2 x 10(-6) and 10.7 x 10(-6) K-1 respectively, which is very close to that of the electrolyte (YSZ) used in solid oxide fuel cells. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.