One-pot synthesis of Ag/β-Ni(OH)2 flower microspheres with enhanced photocatalytic performance

In this article, three-dimensional (3D) Ag/beta-Ni(OH)(2) flower microspheres were synthesized through a facile hydrothermal method in the presence of L-arginine. The results suggest that this biomolecule-assisted hydrothermal method is an efficient route for the fabrication of Ag/beta-Ni(OH)(2) flower microspheres by using L-arginine as both a shape controller and a reducing agent of silver ions. The assynthesized products were characterized by X-ray power diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The photocatalytical activity of the Ag/beta-Ni(OH)(2) flower microspheres was also investigated by UV-Vis spectrophotometer. And the results display enhanced photocatalytic activity in degradation of methylene blue. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.