Oxides with good catalytic performances and more selectivity to valuable chemicals attract numerous research interests for the oxidation of hydrocarbon fuels. Taking advantage of the nanocasting route, CeFe-based nanocomposites were prepared and characterized to achieve superior stability in the oxidation of cyclic compounds. Adding a third metal (Me = Ni2+, Mn2+/Mn3+ or Co2+/Co3+) to the CeFe-based oxide helped the formation of Ce3+/Ce4+, Fe2+/Fe3+ and active couples in the ternary nanocomposites. The solids having a spherical morphology and good textural properties enabled the formation of promising ternary oxide catalysts for the oxidation of ethylbenzene compared with those of binary and single monoxide nanocomposites. The close contact among the Ce3+/Ce4+ and Fe2+/Fe3+ pairs with Ni2+ species provided the formation of a highly stable CeFeNi catalyst with enhanced performance in the oxidation of cyclic compounds such as ethylbenzene, styrene and benzyl alcohol substrates.
