Synthesis of hollow ZnSe nanospheres with high photocatalytic activity: synergetic effect of cation exchange and selective Cu2−xSe template etching

Uniform ZnSe hollow nanospheres with face-centered cubic structure were synthesized via a post-synthetic chemical transformation reaction from solid Cu2−xSe nanocrystals, with the help of tributylphosphine at room temperature under an ambient atmosphere. The formation of ZnSe hollow structure was based on the synergetic effect of isotropic cation exchange from Cu2−xSe to ZnSe and concurrent selective etching of Cu2−xSe templates through anion extraction. The degree of hollowness could be adjusted by changing the feed molar ratio of Zn/Cu and reaction temperature which determined the extent of cation exchange. These ZnSe hollow nanospheres exhibited excellent catalytic activity and stability for the photodegradation of dyes.