X-ray absorption study of ceria nanorods promoting the disproportionation of hydrogen peroxide.

A quasi in situ X-ray absorption study demonstrated that the disproportionation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) promoted by ceria nanorods was associated with a reversible Ce(3+)/Ce(4+) reaction and structural transformations in ceria. The direction of this reversible reaction was postulated to depend on the H2O2 concentration and the fraction of Ce(3+) species in ceria nanorods.