Abstract <p>In this study, flower-like cerium carbonate was synthesized via a liquid-phase precipitation method, using the molecular framework structure of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) to control the reaction between cerium nitrate and ammonium bicarbonate. The precursor was calcined to produce flower-like CeO₂ crystalline powder, retaining the morphology of the precursor. The flower-like CeO₂ was characterized using X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analysis, and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometry. The formation mechanism of the flower-like CeO₂ was investigated. Results demonstrated that the ketone groups and framework structure of PVP facilitated the formation of hexagonal plate-like carbonate monomers. Variations in Ce³⁺ concentration and the degree of polymerization of the framework molecules, influenced by steric hindrance, caused the monomers to aggregate into flower-like structures. The resulting flower-like CeO₂ exhibited a specific surface area of 104 m²/g and a dynamic friction coefficient of 0.500, representing a 6.5% increase in surface area and a 15% reduction in the friction coefficient compared to industrial CeO₂. Additionally, the flower-like CeO₂ displayed superior UV absorption performance, which shows great application potential in photovoltaic devices and UV-resistant materials.</p>