Controlled Formation of Highly Ordered Cubic and Hexagonal Mesoporous Nanocrystalline Yttria-Zirconia and Ceria-Zirconia Thin Films Exhibiting High Thermal Stability

Yttria–zirconia and ceria–zirconia mesoporous thin films adopt either a cubic or 2D hexagonal mesostructure (see picture) depending on the quantity of water employed during the post‐processing of the films. The hexagonal films are thermally stable above 400 °C, while the cubic forms retain their integrity up to 700 °C; both forms continue to be porous at temperatures as high as 800 °C. Such robust and easily prepared crystalline materials may have many useful applications, for example, in the design of sensors, electrode materials, and catalysts.