Preparation of Zn-Co-O mixed-metal oxides nanoparticles through a facile coordination polymer based process

This paper reports a facile process that starts from the coordination polymers (CPs) precursor for the preparation of mixed-metal oxides. Firstly, a series of CPs, Zn-Co-ptcda (ptcda = perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic dianhydride) with different molar ratios of Zn2+ and Co2+, were prepared by self-assembly of metal ions and organic ligands at the molecular scale. Based on the scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis, Zn-Co-ptcda takes both the advantages of Zn-ptcda and Co-ptcda. After a simple thermal treatment, the mixed-metal CPs are transformed into mixed-metal oxides with morphology and composition inherited from the CPs precursor. Binary-phase oxide Co3O4/ZnO and single-phase spinel ZnxCo3-xO4 (0 < x < 1) can be successfully prepared by this strategy.