α-Fe2O3 decorated ZnO nanorod-assembled hollow microspheres: Synthesis and enhanced visible-light photocatalysis.

α-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles-decorated ZnO nanorod-assembled hollow spheres were successfully synthesized by a simple acetone-assisted impregnation deposition. SEM images showed a uniform distribution of α-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles not only on the surfaces of ZnO spheres but also inside pores of ZnO parallel aligned nanorods. The α-Fe 2 O 3 /ZnO binary semiconductor composites exhibited a superior visible-light photocatalytic activity for degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) as compared with pure ZnO spheres. The enhancement was attributed to stronger visible light absorption ability and effective photogenerated charge separation of α-Fe 2 O 3 /ZnO composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]