Facile synthesis of catalytically active CeO 2 –Gd 2 O 3 solid solutions for soot oxidation

CeO2–Gd2O3 oxides were synthesized by a modified coprecipitation method and subjected to thermal treatments at different temperatures to understand their thermal behaviour. The obtained samples were characterized by XRD, BET, TEM, Raman and TPR techniques. Catalytic efficiencies for oxygen storage/release capacity (OSC) and soot oxidation were evaluated by a thermogravimetric (TG) method. XRD and Raman results indicated the formation of Ce0.8Gd0.2 O 2−δ (CG) solid solutions at lower calcination temperatures, and TEM studies confirmed nanosized nature of the particles. Raman studies further confirmed the presence of oxygen vacancies and lattice defects in the CG sample. TPR measurements indicated a facile reduction of ceria after Gd3+ addition. Activity studies revealed that incorporation of Gd3+ into the ceria matrix favoured the creation of more structural defects, which accelerates the oxidation rate of soot compared to pure ceria.