Facile Synthesis and Hierarchical Assembly of Hollow Nickel Oxide Architectures Bearing Enhanced Photocatalytic Properties

Abstract

A solvothermal method combining a calcination process was conducted to synthesize NiO hierarchical architectures with controllable morphologies and sizes. First, several hollow α-Ni(OH)2 hierarchical architectures assembled by α-Ni(OH)2 nanosheets had been synthesized through the solvothermal method. The nucleation-mediated mechanism overwhelmingly determined the morphology of hollow α-Ni(OH)2 architectures through tuning the nucleation rate. The hollow α-Ni(OH)2 spheres could be formed in the case of high nucleation rate. However, the hollow α-Ni(OH)2 tubes would be obtained at low nucleation rate. Second, the hollow NiO hierarchical architecture could be obtained from the precursor without changing their morphologies by a simple calcination procedure. The as-obtained hollow NiO hierarchical architectures showed high photocatalytic property to decompose acid red 1 pollutant and could also be easily recycled under an external magnetic field, displaying great potential in environmental pollutant cleanup ap...