Facile template-free sonochemical fabrication of hollow ZnO spherical structures

Abstract ZnO hollow spherical structures have been synthesized by a facile template-free sonochemical process. The structures and morphologies of products have been characterized by XRD, FESEM and TEM. The results reveal that hollow spherical structures possess a hexagonal wurtzite structure with the in- and out-diameters of about 400 and 500 nm, respectively. The walls of the hollow structures are self-assembled by nanoparticles, partly composed of hexagonal nanoflakes with 40 nm in side lengths. Room temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectrum showed a UV emission at ∼ 384 nm and a broad green emission at the center of 535 nm. A possible formation mechanism was also proposed.