Facile and selective synthesis of ZnO hollow or crumpled spheres and their photocatalytic degradation activities

Hollow or bumpy ZnO structures with micrometer-size features have been investigated as photocatalysts for water purification due to their high surface area available for reaction with harmful organic molecules and relatively large size for easy separation after finishing the photocatalytic reaction. In this study, selective synthesis of ZnO hollow or crumpled microspheres was performed using a simple and versatile ultrasonic spray pyrolysis process with various zinc precursors. The morphologies, phases, specific surface areas, and optical properties of the microspheres were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electronic microscopy, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, and UV-vis spectroscopy. In addition, the mechanism underlying the formation of different morphologies and their photocatalytic activities were systematically investigated.