Anionic surfactants-assisted solution-phase synthesis of ZnO with improved photocatalytic performance

ZnO crystals with block and net structures were successfully prepared using liquid precipitation method in aqueous solutions with the presence of with calcium lignosulfonate (CLS) and sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS). X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and other modern testing techniques were employed to characterize the structure, morphologies and properties of the as-prepared ZnO samples. The obtained crystals exhibited the crystal structure of wurtzite ZnO, while the morphologies is completely different with the increasement of SDS. The morphologies and performances were infected by the SDS, which were suggested on the basis of analytical results. The as-prepared ZnO nanocomposites with 2 g of CLS and different amount of SDS (ZLS) had good adsorption performance, and displayed excellent photocatalytic activity in the degradation of methylene blue (MB). Adsorption efficiency of the ZLS-0.005 is 49.36% after 30 min in dark condition to reach the adsorption-desorption equilibrium of dye MB. It can be seen that the degradation efficiency for MB catalyzed by ZLS-0.015 is 98.99% within 60 min under UV light and 98.25% within 120 min under sunlight.