Carbon-Doped Metal Oxide Nanoparticles Prepared from Metal Nitrates in Supercritical CO2-Enabled Polymer Nanoreactors

Various C-doped metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) are prepared from metal nitrates in poly-(methyl vinyl ether- co -maleic anhydride) (PVM/MA) nanoreactors. The loading of metal nitrates in the nanoreactors is realized via a process of solution-enhanced dispersion by supercritical CO 2 . When the temperature exceeds the thermal decomposition temperature of the nitrates, the nitrates-loaded nanoreactors transform into C-doped metal oxide NPs. ZnO, NiO, and Co 3 O 4 NPs as representative of the doped oxides are successfully fabricated. A precise control over the doping concentration and doping site in the lattice is achieved by changing the mass ratio between PVM/MA and metal nitrate. The controllable carbon doping avoids undesirable aggregation of carbon species and metal oxide NPs, endows the NPs with broad and strong absorption bands in the visible light region, and creates channels for separation of photo-generated electrons and holes. In this regard, the resultant C-doped metal oxide NPs exhibit excellent photocatalytic, photo-induced antibacterial, and photothermal performances.