Morphology control and photocatalytic properties of ZnO sheets grown on an AAO template

Abstract

ZnO sheets grown on an anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) template are prepared by a hydrothermal reaction method. The morphology of ZnO is tailored by varying the hydrothermal reaction time and its photocatalytic properties are studied. Based on XRD, SEM and TEM results, the growth process of ZnO on the AAO template is analysed, which includes the dissolution of fibre and porous AAO, the generation of ZnO sheets and the growth of sheet ZnO layer. Therefore, this work is helpful for subsequent research on the morphology tailoring and growth control of ZnO on AAO templates.