Constructing novel hierarchical porous hydrangea-like ZnWO4 microspheres with enhanced photocatalytic performance

Abstract

Hierarchical porous hydrangea-like ZnWO4 microspheres were synthesized via a facile and simple ethylene glycol (EG) assisted-solvothermal route, in which EG acted as solvent and structure-directing agent. XRD, FTIR, Raman, SEM, TEM, DRS and N2 absorption-desorption have been used to obtain the purity and morphological information as well as BET surface area of the samples. SEM and TEM results demonstrated that the hierarchical porous hydrangea-like ZnWO4 microspheres consisted of many intercrossing curved nanoflakes. The hierarchical porous ZnWO4 microspheres exhibit a high specific surface area up to 92.03 m2/g. The morphological evolution results revealed that the reaction time was crucial to guide the self-assembled process from smaller building units (nanoflakes) to larger 3D flowerlike ZnWO4 hierarchical porous microspheres. Furthermore, this unique hierarchical porous material was effective in the decomposition of RhB in aqueous solution under UV light irradiation, which might be ascribed to the synergistic effect of hierarchical porous structures, large surface areas and good crystallinity of the products.