Hierarchically nanostructured (α-Fe2O3 hollow spheres:: Preparation, growth mechanism, photocatalytic property, and application in water treatment

alpha-Fe2O3 hierarchically nanostructured hollow spheres assembled by nanosheets were prepared by thermal decomposition of a precursor which was obtained using FeCl3 center dot 6H(2)O, NaOH, and sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate in the solvent ethylene glycol by a facile microwave-assisted solvothermal method. The growth process of the precursor was nvestigated. The products were criaracterized by X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Because of the unique hierarchically nanostructured hollow structures composed of nanosheets, the photocatalytic property and potential application in water treatment of the alpha-Fe2O3 samples were also investigated.