Hierarchical ZnO Nanostructures Derived from Zn-Al Layered Double Hydroxides and their Photocatalytic Activity

Hierarchical ZnO Nanostructures Derived from Zn-Al Layered Double Hydroxides and their Photocatalytic Activity

In this work, Zn-Al layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanocrystals were used as a single precursor to fabricate ZnO/Zn-Al LDH nanocomposite based on the dissolution of aluminium hydroxide in NaOH. The newly formed ZnO nanorods vertically align on two sides of thinned LDH nanosheet to form “sandwich-like” nanostructure. The following calcination of these ZnO/Zn-Al LDH nanostructures at moderate temperature provided ZnO-Al2O3 mixed metal oxide nanocomposites. Both of ZnO/Zn-Al LDH and ZnO-Al2O3 samples were investigated as photocatalysts and showed selective activity for the photolysis of different dyes under low-Watt UV irradiation. Such photocatalytic mixed metal hydroxide/oxide nanocomposites should facilitate the decontamination of industrial wastewater and be helpful to environmental remediation.