Issue 44, 2016

Sustainable one-pot integration of ZnO nanoparticles into carbon spheres: manipulation of the morphological, optical and electrochemical properties

Abstract

ZnO–carbon composite spheres were synthesized via starch hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) in the presence of a soluble zinc salt (acetate), followed by thermal processing under an argon atmosphere. Besides sustainability, the one-pot procedure represents a scalable synthesis of tailored carbon–metal oxide spheres with a structurally-ordered carbon matrix obtained at a relatively low temperature (700 °C). The ability of zinc cations to develop different linkages with starch's hydrophilic functional groups and to act as external nucleators determines an increase in HTC yield; the effect is obvious even in the presence of small concentrations of zinc in the reaction medium (0.005 M), thus providing a way to improve the carbonization process efficiency. It is also shown that zinc content is the control vector of the spherical composite’s properties: a variation from 0.3 to 4.8 at% not only induces a variation in their size (200 nm–10 μm), interconnectivity (from disperse spheres to necklace-like aggregations), surface area and connected porosity (from micro- to mesoporosity), but also of their electrochemical and white light adsorption and emission features. Since the variation in zinc content is made by a simple adjustment of the raw material concentrations, the functionality of these carbon-based materials can be modulated in a straightforward manner.

Graphical abstract: Sustainable one-pot integration of ZnO nanoparticles into carbon spheres: manipulation of the morphological, optical and electrochemical properties

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
26 Aug 2016
Accepted
14 Oct 2016
First published
14 Oct 2016

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2016,18, 30794-30807

Sustainable one-pot integration of ZnO nanoparticles into carbon spheres: manipulation of the morphological, optical and electrochemical properties

G. Patrinoiu, J. M. Calderon-Moreno, R. Birjega, D. C. Culita, S. Somacescu, A. M. Musuc, T. Spataru and O. Carp, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2016, 18, 30794 DOI: 10.1039/C6CP05911B

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