Facile synthesis and photocatalytic activity of aluminium-doped zinc oxide materials with different shapes

Aluminium-doped zinc oxide (ZAO) with various shapes such as rod, particle and flake was prepared by the facile hydrothermal-template method. The morphologies and structures of the ZAO products were analysed by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and UV-vis spectroscopy and so on. The investigation of photocatalytic properties of ZAO products showed that ZAO products with large surface area and good crystallinity own better photocatalytic activity.