Robust one-pot synthesis of citrate-stabilized Au@CeO2 hybrid nanocrystals with different thickness and dimensionality

•Au@CeO2 hybrid nanocrystals (NCs) comprising different core/shell morphologies have been synthesized via a novel and simple one-pot aqueous approach.•The method allows producing hybrid morphologies composed by an active and accessible Au core coated by a porous CeO2 shell with varying shell thickness and dimensionality by simply adjusting the Au3+/Ce3+ precursor ratio.•These hybrid NCs are highly monodisperse and well-dispersed in water, showing intense surface plasmon resonance bands that offer unique opportunities for advanced material applications, such as plasmonics and catalysis.