One-pot synthesis of ZnO2/ZnO composite with enhanced photocatalytic performance for organic dye removal.

The ZnO2/ZnO photocatalysts with various ZnO2 contents were prepared by one-pot synthesis method using ZnO and H2O2 as raw materials. The photocatalysts were characterized by XRD, UV-vis DRS, SEM, EDS, FT-IR spectra, fluorescence emission spectra, and BET specific area. The photocatalytic performance of the photocatalyst was evaluated by photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO) and rhodamine B (RhB). The results showed that the photocatalytic activity of the ZnO2/ZnO was much higher than that of single-phase ZnO or ZnO2. The optimum ZnO2 content was 1.0 wt.%. The maximal degradation rate constant of MO and RhB was 4.1 times and 2.2 times that observed for pure ZnO, respectively. The stability of the prepared photocatalyst in the photocatalytic process was also investigated. The active species in dye degradation were examined by adding a series of scavengers. The possible mechanisms involved in the photocatalytic degradation of dye were also discussed.