Rapid mass production of hierarchically porous ZnIn2S4 submicrospheres via a microwave-solvothermal process

Hierarchically porous ZnIn2S4 submicrospheres have been synthesized through a rapid, template-free, one-pot microwave-solvothermal approach. This method is a mild but highly efficient route that involves no templates, catalysts, or surfactants, and therefore, it is very promising for the low-cost and large-scale industrial production. The as-synthesized products were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), nitrogen sorption analysis, and UV-visible spectroscopy. The as-formed porous ZnIn2S4 architecture possesses a large specific surface area of 270.1 m(2)g(-1) and an accessible porous configuration, which are beneficial features for photocatalytic oxidation applications. As expected, the resulting hierarchically porous ZnIn2S4 submicrospheres show enhanced visible-fight photocatalytic activity for methylene blue degradation.