Synthesis and photocatalytic performance of ZnO hollow spheres and porous nanosheets

ZnO hollow spheres and porous nanosheets were prepared by sonochemical deposition approach and hydrothermal method, respectively. Their photodegradation efficiencies for rhodamine B dye aqueous solutions under UV light irradiation were investigated in detail. Compared with ZnO porous nanosheets, the ZnO hollow spheres exhibited a relatively higher photocatalytic activity. Both absorption and photoluminescence results testified that the synergistic effects of absorption capacity and intrinsic defects finally determined the photocatalytic activity of ZnO hollow spheres.