Surface segregation on manganese doped ceria nanoparticles and relationship with nanostability

Highly stable ceria nanoparticles (<11 nm) with different manganese contents were prepared by a coprecipitation method. The powders were studied by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and water adsorption microcalorimetry. The data show that only a small fraction of the manganese ions dissolved into ceria fluorite structure as solid solution, and most segregated on the particles' surface, causing decrease of the average surface energy of the particles with increasing dopant concentration. This was confirmed by direct surface energy measurements using water adsorption microcalorimetry, and has consequences for particle coarsening behavior. That is, the results explain why manganese doped ceria nanoparticles show stronger resistance to coarsening as compared to undoped ceria. The enthalpy of surface segregation of manganese was calculated and discussed as an important parameter to design highly metastable ceria nanoparticles on a thermodynamic basis.