Synthesis of hierarchical porous ZnO microspheres and its photocatalytic deNO _x activity

Hierarchical porous metal oxide nanostructures have currently attracted much interest because their unique structures with large surface area, high porosity and low density are greatly valuable for functional applications in catalysis, biological engineering and photoelectronics device. Herein, hierarchical porous ZnO microspheres were fabricated by a facile hydrothermal method with subsequent calcination. The sample morphology has been characterized by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The powder X-ray diffraction has also been used to determine the crystalline structure of the synthesized materials. The effect of calcination temperature on the crystalline structure of synthesized nanostructures has been systematically investigated. The photocatalytic activities of the obtained samples have been evaluated by means of photocatalytic decomposition of nitrogen monoxide (NO).