Single-crystalline porous NiO nanosheets prepared from β-Ni(OH)2 nanosheets: Magnetic property and photocatalytic activity

Nickel hydroxide (beta-Ni(OH)(2)) nanosheets with a diameter of 400 nm and a thickness of 20 nm were successfully synthesized by a template and surfactant-free solvothermal route in a very simple system composed of LiOH center dot H2O and Ni-naphthenate. Furthermore, porous nickel oxide (NiO) nanosheets were obtained by thermal decomposition of beta-Ni(OH)(2) nanosheets in air at 350-550 degrees C for 2 h. HRTEM and SAED results revealed that the microporous NiO nanosheets obtained at 350 degrees C were single-crystalline, and nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurements of the BET surface area and pore size of porous NiO nanosheets were 156 m(2) g(-1) and 1.7 nm, respectively. Moreover, mesoporous NiO nanosheets and macroporous NiO nanosheets could be selectively obtained by controlling thermal decomposition temperature. The formation mechanism of porous NiO nanosheets was discussed. The magnetic property and photocatalytic activity of the porous NiO nanosheets were also investigated. The porous NiO nanosheets showed enhanced photocatalytic activity for NO destruction. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.