CeO2 hollow nanospheres with tuneable core–shell synthesized by self-templated technique

Abstract The CeO 2 core–shell hollow nanospheres with a diameter of about 800 nm have been successfully synthesized by adjusting heating rate of self-templated calcination in a facile hydrothermal route. Various techniques, including XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, Raman spectra, PL spectra were employed to study the obtained CeO 2 samples. With the decrease of heating rate, the morphology of the obtained CeO 2 samples gradually transforms from solid spherical to core–shell spherical structure. It is found that a number of Ce 3+ ions and oxygen vacancies arise in the obtained CeO 2 core–shell hollow nanospheres with a cubic fluorite structure, which can account for their similar broad emission bands of photoluminescence. The emission intensity of their PL spectra has obvious difference, several factors, such as morphology, structure and size of samples could be all work for this result.