Preparation and photocatalytic activity of hollow ZnO and ZnO-CuO composite spheres

ZnO and ZnO-CuO composite hollow spheres were fabricated by using colloidal carbon spheres as templates. The morphology, structure and chemical composition of the as-prepared samples were investigated using field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The photocatalytic activity of the hollow spherical products was evaluated by photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) aqueous solution at ambient temperature. The results indicated that the ZnO-CuO composite hollow spheres display higher photocatalytic efficiency than pure hollow ZnO products. The related photocatalytic mechanism was discussed based on the microstructure and properties of the ZnO and ZnO-CuO composite hollow spheres. The facile strategy for the preparation of ZnO-CuO hollow nanostructures can be applicable to the synthesis of other composite hollow spheres. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.