Sonochemical Synthesis and Photocatalytic Characterization of ZnO Nanoparticles

[摘要] In this paper, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were synthesized using the sonochemical method, where equimolar amounts of zinc acetate dehydrate and sodium hydroxide were separately dissolved in deionized water, and then mixed for 30 min under magnetic stirring. The resultant white gel was sonicated for 60, 120, 180, 240, and 360 min with magnetic stirring. The obtained precipitates were centrifuged, repeatedly washed with ethanol to remove ionic impurities, and dried at 50 oC for 24 h. The formation of pure NPs was confirmed by X-ray diffraction, and their crystallinity and crystal phases were analyzed as well. Structural investigation was carried out by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The photocatalysis behavior of the ZnO NPs was investigated in a dark room under UV irradiation, using Rhodamine B. Spherical, rod, and flower-like ZnO NPs could be obtained by adjusting the sonication time, as observed by FE-SEM. The flower-like ZnO NPs exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity.

[学科分类] 化学（综合）

[关键词] ZnO;Sonochemical method;Photocatalyst;Nanomaterial