Preparation and characteristics of the ordered porous zirconia containing cerium

Cerium-incorporated ordered porous zirconia materials have been prepared by the surfactant-assisted route and a post-grafting method. The X-ray powder diffraction, TEM, nitrogen adsorption and UV-Vis spectroscopy were adopted for the characterization of the synthesized materials. It is shown that small amount of cerium has been successfully incorporated into the framework of zirconia, and the surplus cerium can be dispersed into the pore channels, as well as onto the outer pore surface. The introduction of cerium may induce more shrinkage of the lattice of ZrO₂ and decrease the order of pore arrangement of ZrO₂. However, both the specific surface area and the ordering of pore structure were retained. This new material may be a potential catalyst.