Nano-crystalline particles of CeO2 have been synthesized by a low temperature chemical precipitation method. The precursor materials used in this research were cerium nitrate hexa hydrate (as a basic material), sodium hydroxide (as a precipitator material) and poly ethylene glycol or poly vinyl pyrollidone (as a surfactant material). In a typical experiment, an aqueous solution of the starting material containing Ce3+ ions was poured into an alkaline solution with the required percentage of surfactant. The resultant yellow colored precipitate [Ce(OH)4] was washed with water / ethyl alcohol and then heat treated at 600 oC for 2 hours. The prepared CeO2 nanoparticles were characterized by TG-DTA, XRD, FTIR, particle size analysis and SEM. From the results obtained, the effect of surfactants on the particle characteristics of CeO2 is correlated and discussed.

Keywords: CeO2, chemical precipitation, surfactants, physical characterization.