Synthesizing highly porous nanoparticles

Abstract

A system and method for synthesizing a nanoparticle material includes dissolving a metal nitrate in deionized water, adding a hydrogel precursor in the deionized water containing the dissolved metal nitrate to create an aqueous solution, heating the aqueous solution, cooling the aqueous solution to create a solid gel, and calcinating the solid gel to create a metal oxide nanoparticle material. The metal oxide nanoparticle material may include a zinc oxide-based nanoparticle material. The hydrogel precursor may include an agarose gel. The solid gel may be calcinated at approximately 600° C. The solid gel may be calcinated for approximately five hours in the presence of air. The aqueous solution may be heated to a boil. The aqueous solution may be heated at a temperature of ≤100° C.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.