Surfactant-free synthesis of ZnO micro/nanoflowers with efficient photocatalytic antibacterial performance

Flower-like ZnO micro/nanostructures were prepared via a simple and surfactant-free chemical solution approach. X-ray diffraction findings showed that the prepared ZnO product was highly crystalline with hexagonal wurtzite structure. The band gap energy of ZnO sample was measured to be 3.32 eV via an optical reflectance spectrum. The flower-like morphological features of ZnO micro/nanostructures were witnessed through transmission electron microscopy and field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The prepared ZnO product revealed an efficient visible light photocatalytic antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, which could be due to its special structure feature. The Ag/ZnO composite was also prepared and displayed improved photocatalytic antibacterial activity after decorating noble metal on the surface of ZnO nanoflowers.