Melamine-Assisted Thermal Activation Method for Vacancy-Rich ZnO: Calcination Effects on Microstructure and Photocatalytic Properties

Defect engineering is considered an effective method to adjust the photocatalytic properties of materials. In this work, we synthesized vacancy-rich ZnO rods with (100) planes via melamine-assisted thermal activation method. A high concentration oxygen vacancies was successfully introduced into non-polar oriented by calcination. The effect vacancy on non-polar-oriented investigated. Raman and XPS spectra revealed formation in ZnO. results showed that growth habit defects can be controlled changing ratio melamine. higher melamine led more amounts ZnO, it reached highest when 1.2:1. When 1.2:1, exhibited a methyl orange degradation rate (95.8%). differences were responsible for improvement performance. good stability regeneration capacity. After recycling four times, still at 92%. Using same method, α-Fe2O3 obtained. This work could offer new simple strategy designing photocatalyst vacancies.