Role of supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO ₂) in fabrication of inorganic-based materials: a green and unique route

ABSTRACT

In recent times, the supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO ₂) process has attracted increasing attention in fabricating diverse materials due to the attractive features of environmentally benign nature and economically promising character. Owing to these unique characteristics and high-penetrability, as well as diffusivity conditions of scCO ₂, this high-pressure technology, with mild operation conditions, cost-effective, and non-toxic, among others, is often applied to fabricate various organic and inorganic-based materials, resulting in the unique crystal architectures (amorphous, crystalline, and heterojunction), tunable architectures (nanoparticles, nanosheets, and aerogels) for diverse applications. In this review, we give an emphasis on the fabrication of various inorganic-based materials, highlighting the recent research on the driving factors for improving the quality of fabrication in scCO ₂, procedures for production and dispersion in scCO ₂, as well as common indicators utilized to assess quality and processing ability of materials. Next, we highlight the effects of specific properties of scCO ₂ towards synthesizing the highly functional inorganic-based nanomaterials. Finally, we summarize this compilation with interesting perspectives, aiming to arouse a more comprehensive utilization of scCO ₂ to broaden the horizon in exploring the green/eco-friendly processing of such versatile inorganic-based materials. Together, we firmly believe that this compilation endeavors to disclose the latent capability and universal prevalence of scCO ₂ in the synthesis and processing of inorganic-based materials.

Graphical abstract