Spray solution combustion synthesis of hollow porous MoO3 photocatalyst

The hollow spherical MoO 3 photocatalyst was successfully prepared by a facile one-step spray solution combustion synthesis method (SSCS). Ammonium molybdate (AHM) and urea were used as the oxidant and fuel, respectively. The MoO 3 with crystallized orthorhombic phase was detected by the X-ray diffractions. And there were many pores on MoO 3 spherical shells shown in SEM results, created by the infiltration of NO 2 and CO 2 during the reactions. Furthermore, an illustration of the MoO 3 stepwise reaction process was proposed. The MoO 3 photocatalysts showed excellent photocatalytic degradation efficiencies over rhodamine B (RhB) under visible-light irradiation, and M4 sample synthesized at 600 °C with the urea/AHM ratio of 4 showed the highest photocatalytic degradation efficiency (82% within 60 min).