Facile Synthesis and Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance of Flower-like ZnO Hierarchical Microstructures

Abstract

ZnO hierarchical microstructures with uniform flower-like morphology were prepared on a large scale through a template-and surfactant-free low-temperature (80 °C) aqueous solution route. The product was characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller N 2 adsorption-desorption analyses. The flower-like ZnO microstructures are assembled by many interleaving nanosheets which have the uniform thickness of about 10 nm and a well-crystalline structure with dominant surfaces as {21 j 1 j 0} planes. Control experiments revealed that the formation of the flower-like ZnO was based on the fast nucleation-growth kinetics. The flower-like ZnO sample shows an enhanced photocatalytic performance compared with the other nanostructured ZnO powders of nanoparticles, nanosheets, and nanorods, which can be attributed to the special structural feature with an open and porous nanostructured surface layer that significantly facilitates the diffusion and mass transportation of RhB molecules and oxygen species in photochemical reaction of RhB degradation.

A Simple Surfactant-Free Solution Phase Synthesis of Flower-like In2S3 Hierarchitectures and their Photocatalytic Activities

“…Then a secondary nucleation would be favored, and cubic angular protuberances would grow into nanopetals combining with the remaining primary particles, finally forming the 3D flower-like hierarchitectures, a process which is similar to that described as "the terrace-step-kink model" [27]. This is similar to the formation process of those flower-like nanocrystals reported previously, such as CoS [28], CuO [29], TiS 2 [30], In 2 O 3 [31], AlO(OH) [32], ZnO [33], Bi 2 MoO 6 [34], Ni(OH) 2 [35] and so on.…”

The Applications of Morphology Controlled ZnO in Catalysis

“…Hierarchically structured and heterostructure composite are usually responsible for the high photocatalytic performance [225][226][227][228][229][230]. For example, the flower-like ZnO hierarchical microstructures assembled by interleaving nanosheets were prepared and tested for photodegradation of RB [225].…”

“…For example, the flower-like ZnO hierarchical microstructures assembled by interleaving nanosheets were prepared and tested for photodegradation of RB [225]. The results indicated that the flower-like ZnO sample showed an enhanced photocatalytic performance, compared to ZnO nanoparticles, nanosheets, and nanorods.…”

Synthesis, characterisation and antimicrobial activity of manganese- and iron-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles

“…[22,23] In addition to this, ZnO NPs are most efficient photocatalysts used in the photodegradation of environmental organic pollutants and toxic. [24,25] The most common technique used to produce defects in pure ZnO NPs is based on the choice of synthesis methods, [26,27] use of composite photocatalysts [28,29] and the doping of pure ZnO with suitable metal ion impurities. [30,31] Various transition metal ions [32À35] have been used to increase the interfacial charge transfer kinetic of ZnO nanostructures.…”