ZnO-based hollow microspheres with mesoporous shells: Polyoxometalate-assisted fabrication, growth mechanism and photocatalytic properties

• Published in: Journal of solid state chemistry Vol. 184; no. 6; pp. 1373 - 1380
• Main Authors: Li, Qiuyu, Chen, Weilin, Ju, Mingliang, Liu, Lin, Wang, Enbo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01.06.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY; CATALYSIS; CHALCOGENIDES; Chemical synthesis methods; COHERENT SCATTERING; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Decoloring; DIFFRACTION; ELECTRON MICROSCOPY; ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY; Exact sciences and technology; FOURIER TRANSFORMATION; Hollow spheres; INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; INTEGRAL TRANSFORMATIONS; IRRADIATION; Materials science; Methods of nanofabrication; MICROSCOPY; MICROSPHERES; Nanopowders; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Nanostructure; NANOSTRUCTURES; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PARTICLES; PHOTOCATALYSIS; Photocatalytic properties; PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY; Physics; Polyoxometalate; SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY; SCATTERING; SHELLS; SPECTROSCOPY; SPHERES; SURFACTANTS; TRANSFORMATIONS; TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY; X-RAY DIFFRACTION; X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY; ZINC COMPOUNDS; Zinc oxide; ZINC OXIDES; ZnO; Polyoxometalate; ZnO; Hollow spheres; Photocatalytic properties; Metallates; Nanosheet; Porous materials; Organometallic compounds; Solvothermal synthesis; XRD; Nanoparticles; Template method; Time dependence; Hollow shape; Zinc oxide; Fourier-transformed infrared spectrometry; Scanning transmission electron microscopy; Nanomaterial synthesis; Radiation effects; Nanoplate; Photocatalysis; Template reaction; Surfactants; Field emission microscopy; Mesoporosity; Hollow sphere; Ultraviolet radiation; Experimental result; Ultraviolet irradiation; Morphology; Rhodamines; Growth mechanism; Microstructure; Catalyst activity; Formation mechanism; Nanostructured materials; X-ray photoelectron spectra
• ISSN: 0022-4596; 1095-726X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jssc.2011.04.006

With the assistance of Keggin-type polyoxometalate, ZnO hollow microspheres with mesoporous shells were synthesized via a simple solvothermal approach without any templates and surfactants. The observations of morphology and structure performed by field emission scanning electronic microscopy and transmission electron microscopy indicated that the shells of the ZnO hollow spheres were built from nanosheets which were composed of nanoparticles. The transformation of structure and composition of samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectrometry and fourier transform infrared absorption spectroscopy. The formation mechanism of the hollow spheres is proposed based on time-dependent experimental results. The ZnO hollow microspheres exhibited a high photocatalytic activity for decolorization of Rhodamine B under ultraviolet irradiation. ZnO hollow spheres with mesporous shells were synthesized by an one-pot polyoxometalate-assisted solvothermal route. The ZnO hollow microspheres exhibited a high photocatalytic activity for decolorization of Rhodamine B (RhB) under UV irradiation. [Display omitted] ► ZnO hollow microspheres were synthesized via a solvothermal route with polyoxometalate. ► The polyoxometalate was vital for the formation of the hollow microspheres. ► The ZnO hollow microspheres exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity of Rhodamine B.