Effect of temperature on the formation of macroporous ZnO bundles and its application in photocatalysis

In this article, the effects of temperature on the formation of macroporous zinc oxide bundles and its photocatalytic activity under a variety of experimental conditions were reported. Thermal decomposition of zinc oxalate dihydrate yields hexagonal wurtzite-type ZnO bundles. Increased the decomposition temperatures resulted in decreased time required for bundle formation, with a corresponding increase in nanoparticles agglomeration. ZnO bundle formation was facilitated up to 200 degrees C after complete decomposition of zinc oxalate into ZnO at 400 degrees C in 15 min. However, low temperature (such as 100 degrees C) was not facilitated nanobundle formation, suggesting the importance of temperature on ZnO bundles formation. In addition, nitrogen adsorption experiments confirmed the presence of macroporous structure in the bundles. The photocatalytic decolorization and adsorption of methylene blue dye (MB) on ZnO bundles were investigated under UV light irradiation. The adsorption and decolorization efficiency of macroporous bundles were higher than the fused bundles. In conclusion, ZnO bundles are efficient and easily recyclable photocatalyst. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.