High photocatalytic activity of Sm(OH)3-ZnO composites synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method

Sm(OH)3-ZnO composites were successfully synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method with Sm(NO3)3·6H2O and Zn(NO3)2·6H2O as raw materials. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX). The photocatalytic activity of the Sm(OH)3-ZnO composites was evaluated by the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) solution under Ultra Violet (UV) light and visible-light irradiation. Results show that the as-prepared Sm(OH)3-ZnO composites with self-assembled structure are well crystallized. Compared with the ZnO and Sm(OH)3 samples, the Sm(OH)3-ZnO composites exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity in the decomposition of Rhodamine B (RhB). The degradation rate reached 98.8% under UV-light irradiation for just 10 min and 94.7% under visible-light irradiation for 180 min.