Open AccessControllable synthesis and photocatalytic properties of ZnO hierarchical flower‐like porous nanostructures
Author(s) -
Ji Xiaoxu,
Wang Aihua,
Li Genquan,
Lu Zhiwen
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
micro and nano letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.25
H-Index - 31
ISSN - 1750-0443
DOI - 10.1049/mnl.2016.0404
Subject(s) - photocatalysis , materials science , scanning electron microscope , rhodamine b , chemical engineering , oxalic acid , transmission electron microscopy , nanostructure , zinc , porosity , oxalate , nanotechnology , nuclear chemistry , inorganic chemistry , organic chemistry , chemistry , metallurgy , catalysis , composite material , engineering
Two kinds of hierarchical ZnO flower‐like porous nanostructures with numerous nanosheets were successfully synthesised through a template‐free and low‐cost oxalic acid assisted solvothermal method combined with a heat post‐treatment. The obtained products were characterised by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). SEM and TEM results revealed that the two kinds of products had sword‐like and hydrangea‐like nanostructures originating from water and water/alcohol mixture solvents, respectively. XRD results confirmed that the growth process of ZnO involved a phase transformation from intermediate compound zinc oxalate hydroxide to ZnO. Furthermore, the photocatalytic properties were also characterised. The results indicated that both samples exhibited high photocatalytic activities for the degradation of rhodamine B, which were mainly ascribed to the porous hierarchical structures.