Single-Crystalline CeOHCO_3 with Rhombic Morphology:Synthesis and Thermal Conversion to CeO_2

Single-crystalline CeOHCO3 rhombic micro-plates with an orthorhombic structure were synthesized by the precipitation reaction between(NH4)2Ce(NO3)6 and CO(NH)2 in the presence of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane(APS).Polycrystalline CeO2 rhombic micro-plates were prepared by thermal decomposition of single-crystalline CeOHCO3 rhombic micro-plates at 600 ℃ in air.CeOHCO3 and CeO2 rhombic micro-plates were characterized by XRD,filed-emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM),TEM,and XPS.The results indicate that APS plays an important role in the preparation of single-crystalline CeOHCO3 rhombic micro-plates because the CeO2 is produced without APS.In addition,the rhombic shape of the products is not ruined apparently by the thermal conversion process from CeOHCO3 to CeO2.