Facile synthesis of three-dimensional Mn3O4 hierarchical microstructures and their application in the degradation of methylene blue

Abstract

A simple and effective route has been developed to synthesize a three-dimensional (3D) Mn₃O₄ hierarchical architecture, which shows a flower-like morphology and is composed of Mn₃O₄ nanosheets. Two experimental parameters, hydrothermal temperature and NaOH addition speed, were revealed to have critical effects on the formation of the morphology. Furthermore, these Mn₃O₄ materials were successfully applied to degrade the organic pollutants in water. Compared with Mn₃O₄ nanoparticles and nanorods, 3D flower-like Mn₃O₄ nanostructures are found to most heavily enhance the MB degradation efficiency of the UV/H₂O₂ advanced oxidation process (AOP), which comes from their high BET surface area and good absorption ability.