FTIR analysis of the hydrolysis rate in the sol-gel formation of gadolinia-doped ceria with acetylacetonate precursors

This study reveals that Fourier transform infrared is an effective analytical tool in probing the extent of hydrolysis of cerium and gadolinium acetylacetonates dissolved in methanol. It is found that these acetylacetonates have relatively fast hydrolysis rates at the early stage of hydrolysis (< 6 h). However, their hydrolysis rates become very slow beyond 6-h of hydrolysis and decrease to near zero after 55-h of hydrolysis. As a result, hydrolysis cannot be completed even after 170 h at room temperature. These phenomena suggest that the first and second acetylacetone ligands chelated to Ce3+ and Gd3+ ions can actually be hydrolyzed with relative ease at room temperature, similar to alkoxide ligands. It is the last acetylacetone ligand that is very difficult to be hydrolyzed.