Study of the structural disorder in new Ce-Al glassy catalysts

CeO2 is used in many catalysis applications due to its extraordinary capacity to storage oxygen. The atomic-scale structure plays a major role in solid state diffusivity and chemical reactivity, which are determinant factors in the performance and stability of catalysts. We synthesized new Ce-based metallic glass catalysts, in which Ce atoms are found in a disordered, defective structure with high free volume. These materials have shown outstanding performance, with possible application in purifying the hydrogen streams feeding fuel cells. We propose to collect XANES and EXAFS measurements to study the coordination and local structure of Ce atoms in the metallic glass and in the oxide generated during catalysis. Different compositions and structural states will be probed to find the relationship between the structure of the parent disordered metals and the Ce oxide catalysts, thus unveiling the specific features responsible of the high catalytic activity discovered in these materials.