Solvothermal preparation of spindle hierarchical ZnO and its photocatalytic and gas sensing properties

Abstract

A novel spindle hierarchical ZnO was grown on ITO glass substrate via a solvothermal process and subsequent calcination treatment. The core of the hierarchical structure is a bundle of nanorods, and the bundle is wrapped by a nano-ring and put on a "sarong" formed by nanoparticles. This ZnO hierarchical structure has good photocatalytic activity and gas sensitivity, its degradation rate to rhodamine B is twice that of ordinary ZnO powder, and response sensitivity to 100 ppm acetone gas is as high as 48.1, which is 11 times as that of ordinary ZnO powder.