ZnO flower nanomaterials as photocatalyst for the degradation of crystal violet dye

A simple solution method is employed for the direct synthesis of ZnO-flowers using zinc acetate precursor in basic medium and utilized as photocatalyst for the degradation of crystal violet (Cv) dye. Each ZnO-flower is comprised of well-defined petals with the average length of ~300nm. The photocatalytic activity of ZnO-flowers is elucidated towards the degradation of Cv-dye under light illumination. The as-synthesized ZnOflowers show very fast degradation of Cv-dye with the degradation rate of ~96% within the time interval of 80min. Mineralization of the dye is extensively described by investigating the mass spectroscopy of the dye before and after the photocatalytic reaction.