Flower-like ZnO/ionic liquid composites: structure, morphology, and photocatalytic activity

Two ionic liquids (ILs) with different alkyl chains, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMI. Cl) and 1-hexadecyl-3methylimidazolium chloride (C16MI. Cl), were incorporated into ZnO particles using the microwave-assisted hydrothermal (MAH) method. The morphology and microstructure of ZnO and ZnO/ IL composites were characterized along with their photocatalytic effect for dye degradation. While the incorporation of ILs into the ZnO particles did not alter their morphology, it converted the shallow defects into deep defects. These changes improved Rhodamine B (RhB) photodegradation efficiency. The dye degradation reached 62% when ZnO/ C1640 was used, whereas it reached 30% when pure ZnO was used, during the same time interval.